Apparatus and methods for disinfection of a specimen container

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a transfer adapter, a puncture member, a disinfection member, and a fluid reservoir. The transfer adapter has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and defines an inner volume configured to receive the puncture member. The transfer adapter is coupled to the disinfection member. The distal end portion of the transfer adapter includes a port fluidically coupled to the puncture member and configured to be placed in fluid communication with a bodily-fluid of a patient. The proximal end portion is configured to receive a portion of the fluid reservoir to allow the fluid reservoir to be moved within the inner volume between a first position, in which a surface of the fluid reservoir is placed in contact with the disinfection member, and a second position, in which the puncture member punctures the surface to place the puncture member in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/947,076, entitled, “Apparatus and Methods forDisinfection of a Specimen Container,” filed on Mar. 3, 2014, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments described herein relate generally to the parenteralprocurement of bodily-fluid samples, and more particularly to systemsand methods for parenterally-procuring bodily-fluid samples with reducedcontamination from microbes or other contaminants exterior to thebodily-fluid source that can potentially distort the results ofdiagnostic testing in a healthcare setting.

Health care practitioners routinely perform various types of microbialas well as other broad diagnostic tests on patients usingparenterally-obtained bodily-fluids. As advanced diagnostic technologiesevolve and improve, the speed and value of information that can beprovided to clinicians continues to improve. As such, ensuring that thebodily-fluid sample to be analyzed is collected in a fashion thatmaintains specimen integrity similarly ensures that analyticaldiagnostic results are representative of the in vivo conditions of apatient. Examples of diagnostic technologies that are reliant on highquality, non-contaminated bodily-fluid samples include but are notlimited to molecular diagnostics, genetic sequencing (e.g., DNA, RNA),and the like. When biological matter, cells external to the intendedsource for sample procurement, and/or other external contaminants areinadvertently included in the bodily-fluid sample that is to beanalyzed, the opportunity for an adulterated specimen driving apotentially inaccurate patient diagnosis may occur.

In some instances, patient samples (e.g., bodily-fluids) are tested forthe presence of one or more potentially undesirable microbes, such asbacteria, fungi, or yeast (e.g., Candida). Microbial testing may includeincubating patient samples in one or more sterile and/or non-sterilevessels containing culture media or other types of solutions that areconducive to microbial growth and/or other real-time diagnosticsincluding molecular polymerase chain reaction-based (PCR-based)technologies used to rapidly identify organisms. Generally, whenmicrobes tested for are present in the patient sample, the microbesflourish over time in the culture medium. These organisms may also beidentified by other advanced diagnostic testing technologies (e.g.,molecular testing/diagnosing, PCR, genetic testing/sequencing, etc.). Inthe case of employing a culture medium, after an amount of time (e.g., afew hours to several days—which can sometimes be a longer or shorterdepending on the diagnostic technology employed), organism growth can bedetected by automated, continuous monitoring. For example, in someinstances, such automated monitoring can detect carbon dioxide producedby organism growth. The presence of microbes in the culture medium (asindicated by observation of carbon dioxide) and/or via other detectionmethods suggests the presence of the same microbes in the patient samplewhich, in turn, suggests the presence of the same microbes in thebodily-fluid of the patient from which the sample was obtained.Accordingly, when microbes are determined to be present in the culturemedium (or more generally in the sample used for testing), the patientmay be prescribed one or more antibiotics or other treatmentsspecifically designed to treat or otherwise remove the undesiredmicrobes from the patient.

Generally, patient bodily-fluid samples are collected in varioussettings and are then transported to a laboratory-type environment forprocessing and analysis. For example, the settings for collecting thepatient sample(s) could include an outpatient clinic, a hospital(including emergency department, intensive care unit (ICU),medical/surgical floor, or the like) or a commercial setting (includinga drugstore or any other commercial enterprise that assists withcollection of bodily-fluid sample(s)). In all settings, typically,protocols are developed, implemented, and monitored to ensure thequality of the collection, handling, preparation, transportation, etc.of a patient's bodily-fluid sample(s). Generally, practitioners ensurethe integrity of the patient specimen(s), understanding that if thesample is adulterated and/or contains matter that is not representativeof the patient's in vivo condition, a diagnostic error and ensuinginaccurate treatment decision(s) may occur.

In some instances, patient samples, nonetheless, can become contaminatedduring procurement. For example, some equipment used in phlebotomyprocedures can include multiple fluidic interfaces (e.g., patient toneedle, peripheral IV to catheter, needle/tubing to sample vessels,etc.) that can each introduce points of potential contamination.Additionally, the equipment used to procure, transfer, transport, and/orotherwise contain a patient sample are typically connected and/orotherwise placed in fluid communication via manual intervention (e.g., adoctor, phlebotomist, nurse, etc. handles and/or manipulates theequipment). Since the interfaces of the equipment are not consistentlypreassembled and/or sterilized as a single fluidically coupled system,external contaminants (e.g., microbes, dermally-residing organisms,cells from the patient that are not from the intended source ofbodily-fluid to be tested, etc.) can be introduced to the patient samplevia multiple sources (e.g. ambient air, contaminants on surfaces oftables and/or counters in patient room, microbes transferred from linensor clothing, skin deposited on collection supplies from a healthcareworker during assembly and/or sample procurement or transfer, cells fromanother source within the patient, and/or the like). In some instances,the contaminants can lead to a positive microbial and/or otherdiagnostic test result, thereby falsely indicating the presence of suchmicrobes or other cells and/or other biological matter in vivo. Suchinaccurate results are a concern when attempting to diagnose or treat asuspected illness or condition. For example, false positive results frommicrobial tests may result in the patient being unnecessarily subjectedto one or more anti-microbial therapies, which may cause serious sideeffects to the patient including, for example, death, as well as producean unnecessary burden and expense to the healthcare system.

As such, a need exists for improved systems and methods for disinfectionof specimen container(s) that reduce microbial and/or any other type ofcontamination associated with the collection of bodily-fluid testsamples by, for example, disinfecting equipment interfaces to ensure theintegrity of the patient sample(s) that are collected and analyzed inthe diagnostic process, thereby minimizing and/or substantiallyeliminating false positive as well as false negative diagnostic results.

SUMMARY

Apparatus and methods for parenterally-procuring bodily-fluid sampleswith reduced contamination from microbes exterior to the bodily-fluidsource and/or other undesirable external contaminants or biologicalmatter are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includesa transfer adapter, a puncture member, a disinfection member, and afluid reservoir. The transfer adapter has a proximal end portion and adistal end portion, and defines an inner volume configured to receivethe puncture member. The transfer adapter is coupled to the disinfectionmember. The distal end portion of the transfer adapter includes a portfluidically coupled to the puncture member and configured to be placedin fluid communication with a bodily-fluid from a patient. The proximalend portion is configured to receive a portion of the fluid reservoir toallow the fluid reservoir to be moved within the inner volume between afirst position, in which a surface of the fluid reservoir is placed incontact with the disinfection member, and a second position, in whichthe puncture member punctures the surface to place the puncture memberin fluid communication with the fluid reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a transfer adapter included inthe bodily-fluid collection device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a disinfection member included in the transferadapter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a fluid reservoir included in thecollection device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the bodily-fluid collectiondevice of FIG. 2 taken along the line X₁-X₁, in a first configuration.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the disinfection member of FIG. 4 in asecond configuration.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 2 taken along the line X₁-X₁, in a second configuration.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 9 taken along the line X₂-X₂, in a first configuration.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the bodily-fluid collectiondevice of FIG. 9 taken along the line X₂-X₂, in a second configuration.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 9 taken along the line X₂-X₂, in a third configuration.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer adapter included in thebodily-fluid collection device of FIG. 13 taken along the line X₃-X₃.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a disinfection member included in thetransfer adapter of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the bodily-fluid collectiondevice of FIG. 13 taken along the line X₃-X₃, in a first configuration.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 13 taken along the line X₃-X₃, in a second configuration.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer adapter included in thebodily-fluid collection device of FIG. 18 taken along the line X₄-X₄.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the transfer adapterof FIG. 19 taken along the line X₄-X₄ in FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a disinfection member included in thetransfer adapter of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional side view of the bodily-fluid collectiondevice of FIG. 18 taken along the line X₄-X₄, in a first configuration.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 18 taken along the line X₄-X₄, in a second configuration.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer adapter included in thebodily-fluid collection device of FIG. 24 taken along the line X₅-X₅.

FIGS. 26 and 27 are a top perspective view and a bottom perspectiveview, respectively, of a disinfection member included in the transferadapter of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional side view of the bodily-fluid collectiondevice of FIG. 24 taken along the line X₄-X₄, in a first configuration.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the disinfection member of FIG. 26coupled to a fluid reservoir.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 25 taken along the line X₅-X₅, in a second configuration.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating a method of procuring a bodily-fluidsample from a patient with reduced contamination from externallyresiding microbes according to an embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a transfer adapter included in thebodily-fluid collection device of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view of the bodily-fluid collection deviceof FIG. 32 taken along the line X₆-X₆.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a kit including a bodily fluidcollection device in a first configuration, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a package included in the kit of FIG.35 and configured to at least temporarily contain the bodily fluidcollection device shown in FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the kit of FIG. 35 in a secondconfiguration.

FIG. 38 is a front view of a disinfection member included in the kit ofFIG. 35 and configured to couple to a fluid reservoir.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a transfer adapter, apuncture member, and a disinfection member. The transfer adapter has aproximal end portion and a distal end portion, and defines an innervolume configured to receive the puncture member. The transfer adapteris coupled to the disinfection member. The distal end portion of thetransfer adapter includes a port fluidically coupled to the puncturemember and configured to be placed in fluid communication with abodily-fluid of a patient. The proximal end portion is configured toreceive a portion of a fluid reservoir to allow the fluid reservoir tobe moved within the inner volume between a first position, in which asurface of the fluid reservoir is placed in contact with thedisinfection member, and a second position, in which the puncture memberpunctures the surface to place the puncture member in fluidcommunication with the fluid reservoir.

In some embodiments, a method includes establishing fluid communicationbetween a patient and a transfer adapter. The transfer adapter iscoupled to a disinfection member. The transfer adapter defines an innervolume configured to house a puncture member. The puncture member isconfigured to be in fluid communication with the patient when thetransfer adapter is placed in fluid communication with the patient. Aportion of a fluid reservoir is inserted into the inner volume of thetransfer adapter. The fluid reservoir is moved to a first position toplace a contact surface of the fluid reservoir in contact with thedisinfection member. The method includes moving the fluid reservoir to asecond position. A portion of the fluid reservoir is moved within theinner volume when the fluid reservoir is moved to its second positionsuch that the puncture member punctures the contact surface of the fluidreservoir to place the fluid reservoir in fluid communication with thepatient. Optionally, in some embodiments, an intermediary device (e.g. asyringe) can be coupled to the transfer adapter to establish fluidcommunication and to collect a bodily-fluid sample. Following samplecollection, the intermediary device can be, for example, coupled to thefluid reservoir to facilitate the transfer of the bodily-fluid. In someembodiments, the disinfection member can be placed in contact with oneor more interfaces formed by the intermediary device and/or the transferadapter to substantially sterilize the interfaces.

In some embodiments, a kit includes a package, a transfer adapter, adisinfection member, and a retainer. The package defines an inner volumeand has an inner surface. The inner surface has a contour portion. Thetransfer adapter defines an inner volume configured to house a puncturemember. The transfer adapter is configured to be moved from a firstposition, in which the transfer adapter is disposed within the packageand in contact with the contour portion of the inner surface, to asecond position, in which the transfer adapter is disposed substantiallyoutside of the package. The transfer adapter and the contour portionform a friction fit when the transfer adapter is in its first positionto at least temporarily retain the transfer adapter in a fixed positionrelative to the package. The disinfection member is configured to bemoved from a first position, in which the disinfection member isdisposed within the package and in contact with the inner surface, to asecond position, in which the disinfection member is disposedsubstantially outside of the package. The retainer is configured to bedisposed within the package and configured to be transitioned from afirst configuration to a second configuration when the disinfectionmember is in its second position. The retainer substantially preventsthe transfer adapter from being moved from its first position to itssecond position when the retainer is in the first configuration.

In some embodiments, the disinfection member is positioned during themanufacturing process in a position that prevents the clinician fromcollecting and/or transferring a bodily-fluid sample into a fluidreservoir(s) without engaging the disinfection member to at leastsubstantially sterilize a connection therebetween, which in turn,facilitates fluid communication of a bodily-fluid sample between thepatient and the collection vessel. By ensuring that substantially noexternal contaminants and/or biological matter (e.g., skin cells, tumorcells, organ tissue, etc.) external to the target bodily-fluid sourceare captured in the sample vessel, diagnostic results can improve withincreased consistency. With accurate diagnostic results, clinicians canderive an accurate treatment/action plan, thereby reducing thelikelihood of misdiagnosing a patient, prescribing unnecessarytreatment, holding the patient in a clinical and/or hospital setting foran undue period of time, and/or the like, which in turn, cansubstantially reduce a risk of the patient developing a further ailment(e.g., antibiotic complications, adverse drug reactions,hospital-acquired infection, and/or the like) as well as substantiallyreduce costs to hospital and/or other healthcare institutions.

As used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, the term “a member” is intended to mean a singlemember or a combination of members, “a material” is intended to mean oneor more materials, or a combination thereof.

As referred to herein, “bodily-fluid” can include any fluid obtainedfrom a body of a patient, including, but not limited to, blood,cerebrospinal fluid, urine, bile, lymph, saliva, synovial fluid, serousfluid, pleural fluid, amniotic fluid, and the like, or any combinationthereof.

As used herein, the term “set” can refer to multiple features or asingular feature with multiple parts. For example, when referring to setof walls, the set of walls can be considered as one wall with distinctportions, or the set of walls can be considered as multiple walls.Similarly stated, a monolithically constructed item can include a set ofwalls. Such a set of walls can include, for example, multiple portionsthat are in discontinuous from each other. A set of walls can also befabricated from multiple items that are produced separately and arelater joined together (e.g., via a weld, an adhesive or any suitablemethod).

As used herein, the words “proximal” and “distal” refer to the directioncloser to and away from, respectively, a user who would place the deviceinto contact with a patient. Thus, for example, the end of a devicefirst touching the body of the patient would be the distal end, whilethe opposite end of the device (e.g., the end of the device beingmanipulated by the user) would be the proximal end of the device.

As used herein, the term “disinfecting agent” refers to a chemical orcombination of chemicals used to disinfect and/or to substantiallysterilize a surface. A disinfecting agent can be in any suitable form(e.g., gaseous, aqueous, or solid). In some embodiments, a disinfectingagent can be an antiseptic or the like that can be used to kill,destroy, and/or otherwise substantially neutralize negative effects frommicrobes such as, for example, germs, bacteria, viruses, and/or othertarget microorganisms. In some embodiments, a disinfecting agent can bein an aqueous form and substantially suspended by a porous substrate. Inother embodiments, a surface of a substrate such as a wipe or diaphragmcan be impregnated by and/or coated with a disinfecting agent. Anon-limiting list of disinfecting agents can include, for example,alcohol (e.g., ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-proponal, isopropanol, and/or thelike), quaternary ammonium compounds ((e.g., benzalkonium chloride(BAC), cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTMB), cetylpyridinium chloride(Cetrim (CPC)), benzethonium chloride (BZT) and/or the like), boricacid, chlorhexidine gluconate, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, octenidinedihydrochloride, phenol, polyhexanide (e.g., polyhexamethylene biguanide(PHMB)), sodium bicarbonate, silver compounds (e.g., silver nitrate,silver proteinate, chlorhexidine-silver-sulfadiazine, and/or the like),and/or any other suitable disinfectant or antiseptic, and/or acombination thereof. Moreover, any of the disinfecting agents can beused with, for example, a binding agent, a suspension agent, asurfactant, and/or the like.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a bodily-fluid collection device100, according to an embodiment. Generally, the bodily-fluid collectiondevice 100 (also referred to herein as “collection device”) isconfigured to disinfect one or more interfaces prior to defining afluidic coupling to reduce external contaminants residing on theinterfaces. Once disinfected, the one or more interfaces can befluidically coupled to allow a flow of bodily-fluid that issubstantially free of external contaminants to flow from a patient to afluid reservoir.

The collection device 100 includes a transfer adapter 120, adisinfection member 140, puncture member 150, and optionally, a fluidreservoir 110. The transfer adapter 120 has a proximal end portion 121and a distal end portion 123, and defines an inner volume 136therebetween. The transfer adapter 120 can be any suitable shape, size,or configuration. For example, the transfer adapter 120 can besubstantially cylindrical, including a set of annular walls that defineat least a portion of the inner volume 136. Moreover, as shown in FIG.1, the transfer adapter 120 (and or the annular walls of the transferadapter 120) can house at least a portion of the disinfection member 140and the puncture member 150. In other words, the disinfection member 140and the puncture member 150 are each disposed, at least partially,within the inner volume 136 defined by the transfer adapter 120, asdescribed in further detail herein.

The proximal end portion 121 of the transfer adapter 120 can besubstantially open to movably receive at least a portion of the fluidreservoir 110. More particularly, at least a portion of the fluidreservoir 110 can be inserted through the proximal end portion 121 ofthe transfer adapter 120 to dispose the portion of the fluid reservoir110 within the inner volume 136. As described in further detail herein,the fluid reservoir 110 can be inserted through the proximal end portion121 of the transfer adapter 120 and can be sequentially placed in afirst position and a second position within the inner volume 136.

The distal end portion 123 of the transfer adapter 120 includes a port124 that can be physically and fluidically coupled to any suitable lumendefining device such as a catheter, cannula, needle, trocar, or thelike. For example, in some embodiments, the port 124 is a Luer Lok® thatcan be physically and fluidically coupled to a peripheral intravenous(IV) needle or a peripheral IV catheter, which can facilitate access tothe bodily-fluid source. In addition, the port 124 can be in fluidcommunication with the puncture member 150 disposed within the innervolume 136. For example, in some embodiments, the port 124 and thepuncture member 150 can be monolithically formed, defining a lumen thatextends through a distal surface of the port 124 and a proximal surfaceof the puncture member 150. In other embodiments, the port 124 and thepuncture member 150 can be operably coupled such that a lumen defined bythe port 124 is in fluid communication with a lumen defined by thepuncture member 150. Therefore, when the port 124 is fluidically coupledto the lumen defining device, the puncture member 150 is placed in fluidcommunication with the lumen defining device, as described in furtherdetail herein.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the transfer adapter 120 can include oneor more seals that can be removably coupled to a surface of the transferadapter 120 to fluidically isolate the inner volume 136 from a volumeoutside of the transfer adapter 120. For example, in some embodiments,the proximal end portion 121 of the transfer adapter 120 can include aseal and/or the like that can be removably coupled to a proximal surfaceof the transfer adapter 120 to substantially cover an opening defined bythe proximal end portion 121 (described above). In this manner, the sealcan fluidically isolate the inner volume 136 to substantially maintainthe sterility of the inner volume 136. Moreover, by fluidicallyisolating the inner volume 136, in some embodiments, the seal canmaintain a relative humidity within the inner volume 136, as describedin further detail herein.

As described above, the disinfection member 140 is at least partiallydisposed within the inner volume 136 of the transfer adapter 120. Thedisinfection member 140 can be, for example, a pad, a swab, a diaphragm,a sponge, a wipe, and/or the like that can include a disinfecting agent.For example, in some embodiments, the disinfection member 140 can be adiaphragm or the like that can have at least one surface that issubstantially impregnated with a disinfecting agent such as, thosedescribed above. In some embodiments, the disinfection member 140 caninclude and/or can define a portion that is substantially porous, forexample, to act as a substrate for the disinfection agent. In otherembodiments, the disinfection member 140 can include a surface that issubstantially impregnated with the disinfection agent (e.g., coated withand/or the like). In still other embodiments, the disinfection member140 can include a surface that is formed from a disinfecting materialsuch as, for example, a silver compound. As described in further detailherein, when the fluid reservoir 110 is placed in its first positionwithin the inner volume 136, the disinfection member 140 is placed incontact with a surface of the fluid reservoir 110 to substantiallydisinfect the surface.

As described above, in some embodiments, a seal can be removably coupledto the transfer adapter 120 to fluidically isolate the inner volume 136from a volume outside of the transfer adapter 120. In some instances, byfluidically isolating the inner volume 136 a relative humidity can bemaintained within the inner volume 136 that can, for example,substantially limit and/or prevent evaporation of the disinfectionagent. For example, in some embodiments, the disinfection member 140 canbe a porous substrate that can suspend, for example, an alcohol orchlorhexidine based disinfection agent that would otherwise evaporate,at least partially, in a relatively low humidity and/or non-sealedenvironment.

As described above, the puncture member 150 is at least partiallydisposed within the inner volume 136 of the transfer adapter 120. Thepuncture member 150 can be, for example, a lumen defining device thatcan include a sharpened end portion. For example, in some embodiments,the puncture member 150 can be a needle that can have a sharpenedproximal end portion. As such, the puncture member 150 can be configuredto puncture, pierce, and/or otherwise be inserted into the fluidreservoir 110 when the fluid reservoir 110 is placed in its secondposition within the inner volume 136, as described in further detailherein. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the puncturemember 150 can be disposed within a sheath or the like. In someinstances, the sheath can be transitioned between a first configuration,in which the sheath substantially surrounds or encloses at least aportion of the puncture member 150, and a second configuration, in whichat least a portion of the puncture member 150 extends beyond a distalsurface of the sheath. Moreover, while in the first configuration, thesheath can fluidically isolate the puncture member 150 from a volumeoutside of the sheath to, for example, maintain sterility of thepuncture member 150 prior to the sheath being transitioned to the secondconfiguration, as described in further detail herein.

The fluid reservoir 110 can be any suitable shape, size, and/orconfiguration that can receive and/or store a volume of a bodily-fluid.For example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 can be anysuitable reservoir described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,197,420 (“the '420patent”), entitled, “Systems and Methods for Parenterally ProcuringBodily-Fluid Samples with Reduced Contamination,” filed on Dec. 13,2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 can define anegative pressure (e.g., can be substantially evacuated). In someembodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 can be, for example, a BacT/ALERT®SN or a BacT/ALERT® FA (manufactured by BIOMERIEUX, INC.), a BDVacutainer® or a BD Microtainer® (manufactured Becton, Dickinson, andCompany (BD)), a Nanotainer™ (manufactured by Theranos), and/or anysuitable reservoir, vial, microvial, microliter vial, container,microcontainer, or the like. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir110 can be any suitable sample or culture bottle such as, for example,aerobic culture bottles, anaerobic culture bottles, and or the like thatcan include a culture medium or the like. In this manner, the culturebottle can receive a bodily-fluid sample, which can then be test for thepresence of, for example, Gram-Positive bacteria, Gram-Negativebacteria, yeast, and/or any other organism and subsequently testedusing, for example, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based system toidentify a specific organism. In some instances, the culture bottle canreceive a bodily-fluid sample and the culture medium (disposed therein)can be tested for the presence of any suitable organism. If such a testof the culture medium yields a positive result, the culture medium canbe subsequently tested using a PCR-based system to identify a specificorganism. The fluid reservoir 110 includes a surface 112 that can bepierced to place an inner volume of the fluid reservoir 110 in fluidcommunication with a volume outside of the fluid reservoir 110. Forexample, in some embodiments, the surface 112 can include and/or candefine a frangible portion and/or a port that can be pierced, forexample, by the puncture member 150, as described in further detailherein.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 100 to couplethe port 124 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, a standardwinged butterfly needle, a syringe, a peripheral IV catheter, and/or thelike. In some instances, the lumen defining device can be placed incommunication with a bodily-fluid in a patient prior to being coupled tothe port 124. In other instances, the port 124 can be coupled to thelumen defining device prior the lumen defining device being inserted(e.g., percutaneously) into the patient. With the port 124 in fluidcommunication with the lumen defining device, the user can manipulatethe collection device 100 to insert at least a portion of the fluidreservoir 110 to the proximal end portion 121 of the transfer adapter120. In this manner, a fluid flow path can be defined between a flow ofbodily-fluid within the patient and the lumen defined by the puncturemember 150. In other words, the lumen defining device and the port 124place the puncture member 150 in fluid communication with a flow ofbodily-fluid in the patient. In some embodiments, prior to inserting thefluid reservoir 110, the user can manipulate the collection device 100to remove, for example, a seal that substantially covers the proximalend, as described above.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 110 in a distal direction relativeto the transfer adapter 120 to place the fluid reservoir 110 in thefirst position within the inner volume 136, thereby placing thecollection device 100 in a first configuration. In this manner, thedisinfection member 140 can be placed in contact with, for example, thesurface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110 to substantially disinfect thesurface 112. In some embodiments, the user can maintain the fluidreservoir 110 in the first position for a predetermined time period toallow the disinfection agent to disinfect the surface 112 of the fluidreservoir 110. Similarly stated, the user can place the fluid reservoir110 in the first position and can hold the fluid reservoir 110substantially in the first position to allow the disinfection member 140to disinfect the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110. In otherembodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 need not be held in the firstposition for the disinfection member 140 to disinfect the surface 112 ofthe fluid reservoir 110. For example, in some embodiments, the user canmove the fluid reservoir 110 in the distal direction and in asubstantially continuous manner to place the fluid reservoir 110 in thefirst position and then the second position.

While not shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the collection device100 can include one or more mechanical features that are configured tobe manipulated by the user to place the surface 112 of the fluidreservoir 110 in contact with the disinfection member 140 in apredetermined and/or otherwise specific manner to ensure that propertime and technique are employed to substantially eliminate contaminantsand/or microbes external to the patient's bodily-fluid source at theinterface of the collection device 100 and fluid reservoir 110. Forexample, in some embodiments, the transfer adapter 120 can includeand/or can define a set of threads incorporated into the annular walls(described above). In such embodiments, a user can twist the fluidreservoir 110 a predetermined number of times to place the fluidreservoir 110 in contact with the puncture member 150. In this manner,the twisting of the fluid reservoir 110 the predetermined number oftimes can assure that the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110 hasbeen in contact with and/or has been scrubbed by the disinfection member140 for a sufficient amount of time to achieve a desired sterility ofthe surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110. Similarly, mechanicalfeatures can be integrated to ensure the surface 112 of the fluidreservoir 110 has sufficient time to dry (and hence opportunity formicrobes and/or contaminants to die) following exposure to thedisinfection agents contained on or in the disinfection member 140.

In some embodiments, the disinfection member 140 can be a diaphragm orthe like that can be transitioned (e.g., opened or otherwisereconfigured) between a first configuration and a second configurationas the fluid reservoir 110 is moved from the first position toward thesecond position. In this manner, a surface of the disinfection member140 can be placed in contact with the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir110 when the fluid reservoir 110 is placed in the first position and can“wipe” the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110 as the fluid reservoir110 is moved from the first position to the second position. In otherembodiments, the disinfection member 140 can substantially remain incontact with the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110 when the fluidreservoir 110 is moved from the first position to the second position(e.g., the disinfection member 140 can compress or otherwise reconfigureto remain in contact with the surface 112).

The user can move the fluid reservoir 110 to the second position toplace the puncture member 150 into contact with the surface 112, therebyplacing the collection device in a second configuration. For example, asthe fluid reservoir 110 is moved in the distal direction toward thesecond position, a proximal end portion of the puncture member 150 isplaced in contact with a piercable portion of the surface 112 (e.g., afrangible seal). More particularly, the proximal end portion of thepuncture member 150 can contact the surface 112 of the fluid reservoir110 prior to the fluid reservoir 110 being placed in the second positionsuch that further distal movement advances the surface 112 of the fluidreservoir 110 beyond the proximal portion of the puncture member 150.Thus, the puncture member 150 pierces the surface 112 to dispose aportion of the puncture member 150 in an inner volume defined by thefluid reservoir 110. Moreover, with the puncture member 150 defining alumen and with the fluid reservoir 110 in the second position, theportion of the puncture member 150 can be disposed within the fluidreservoir 110 such that the lumen defined by the puncture member 150 isin fluid communication with the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 110.

As described above, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 can beconfigured to define a negative pressure that can exert a suction forcein or on the lumen of the puncture member 150 when the puncture member150 pierces surface 112 of the fluid reservoir 110. Thus, with the fluidflow path defined between the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient andthe lumen defined by the puncture member 150 (e.g., via the lumendefining device and the port 124, as described above), the puncturemember 150 can place the fluid reservoir 110 in fluid communication withthe flow of bodily-fluid in the patient. As such, the negative pressuredefined by the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 110 can exert asuction force within, for example, a vein of the patient to urge thebodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path to be disposed in theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 110. In some instances, thebodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a pressure withinthe inner volume of the fluid reservoir 110 is substantially equal to apressure within, for example, the vein of the patient (or body of anintermediary collection device such as a syringe). In some instances,the bodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a predefinedvolume of the bodily-fluid is disposed within the fluid reservoir 110.With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed in the fluid reservoir110, the fluid reservoir 110 can be moved in the proximal direction to,for example, remove the fluid reservoir 110 from the inner volume 136 ofthe transfer adapter 120. In some instances, a second fluid reservoir(not shown in FIG. 1) can be inserted into the transfer adapter 120 andplaced in fluid communication with the flow of bodily-fluid in thepatient in substantially the same manner as described above. Thus, anysuitable number of fluid reservoirs can be inserted into the transferadapter 120 such that a piercable surface of each fluid reservoir isdisinfected prior to receiving a flow of bodily-fluid. As such, theamount of contaminants and/or microbes transferred to a bodily-fluidsample from, for example, a piercable surface of a fluid reservoir canbe reduced and/or substantially eliminated.

In some embodiments, the collection device 100 can be included in and/orcan form at least a portion of a preassenibled and/or all-in-onecollection device. In such embodiments, the preassembled and/orall-in-one collection device can include, for example, any suitablenumber of fluid reservoirs (e.g., one fluid reservoir, two fluidreservoirs, three fluid reservoirs, four fluid reservoirs, or more) thatcan be preassembled with and/or incorporated in (e.g., unitarily formedwith) a transfer device including a disinfection member such as thosedescribed herein. By way of example, in some embodiments, the collectiondevice 100 (and/or any suitable portion thereof) can be included inand/or can otherwise form a portion of a preassembled and/or all-in-onecollection device such as those described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/096,826 entitled, “Sterile Bodily-Fluid Collection Deviceand Methods,” filed Dec. 4, 2013 the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIGS. 2-8 illustrate a bodily-fluid collection device 200, according toanother embodiment. Generally, the bodily-fluid collection device 200(also referred to herein as “collection device”) is configured todisinfect one or more interfaces prior to defining a fluidic coupling toreduce external contaminants residing on the interfaces. Oncedisinfected, the one or more interfaces can be fluidically coupled toallow a flow of bodily-fluid that is substantially free of externalcontaminants to flow from a patient to a fluid reservoir.

The collection device 200 includes a transfer adapter 220, adisinfection member 240 (see e.g., FIG. 3), a puncture member 250 (seee.g., FIG. 3), and a fluid reservoir 210. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thetransfer adapter 220 has a proximal end portion 221 and a distal endportion 223, and defines an inner volume 236 therebetween. The transferadapter 220 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration. Forexample, the transfer adapter 220 can have a set of annular walls 225that define at least a portion of the inner volume 236. The annularwalls 225 of the transfer adapter 220 house at least a portion of thedisinfection member 240 and the puncture member 250. In other words, thedisinfection member and the puncture member 250 are each at leastpartially disposed within the inner volume 236 defined by the transferadapter 220. Moreover, at least a portion of the fluid reservoir 210 canbe selectively disposed within the inner volume 236, as described infurther detail herein.

The annular walls 225 can include a first cylindrical portion 226 (alsoreferred to herein as “first portion”), a second cylindrical portion 228(also referred to herein as “second portion”), and a tapered portion 227disposed therebetween. More specifically, the arrangement of the annularwalls 225 can be such that a diameter of the first portion 226 issmaller than a diameter of the second portion 228. Thus, a diameter ofthe tapered portion 227 decreases as the tapered portion 227 extendsfrom the second portion 228 to the first portion 226. Said another way,the tapered portion 227 can have a diameter substantially equal to thediameter of the second portion 228 at a proximal end, and can have adiameter substantially equal to the diameter of the first portion 226 ata distal end. Accordingly, a diameter of a portion of the inner volume236 (e.g., an inner diameter) can substantially correspond to thediameter of the portion of the annular walls 225 (e.g., an outerdiameter), as described in further detail herein.

The proximal end portion 221 of the transfer adapter 220 can besubstantially open (see e.g., FIG. 3) to movably receive at least aportion of the fluid reservoir 210. Said another way, at least a portionof the fluid reservoir 210 can be inserted through an opening defined bythe proximal end portion 221 of the transfer adapter 220 to dispose theportion of the fluid reservoir 210 within the inner volume 236. Asdescribed in further detail herein, the fluid reservoir 210 can beinserted through the proximal end portion 221 of the transfer adapter220 and can be placed in a first position (e.g., a proximal position)and a second position (e.g., a distal position) within the inner volume236.

The distal end portion 223 of the transfer adapter 220 includes a port224 that can be physically and fluidically coupled to any suitable lumendefining device such as a catheter, cannula, needle, trocar, or thelike. For example, in some embodiments, the port 224 is a Luer Lok® thatcan be physically and fluidically coupled to a peripheral intravenous(IV) needle. In addition, the port 224 can be in fluid communicationwith the puncture member 250 disposed within the inner volume 236. Forexample, in some embodiments, the port 224 and the puncture member 250can be monolithically formed, defining a lumen that extends through adistal surface of the port 224 and a proximal surface of the puncturemember 250. In other embodiments, the port 224 and the puncture member250 can be operably coupled such that a lumen defined by the port 224 isin fluid communication with a lumen defined by the puncture member 250.Therefore, when the port 224 is fluidically coupled to the lumendefining device, the puncture member 250 is placed in fluidcommunication with the lumen defining device, as described in furtherdetail herein.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transfer adapter 220 includes a seal 238that can be removably coupled to, for example, a proximal surface of thetransfer adapter 220 to fluidically isolate the inner volume 236 from avolume outside of the transfer adapter 220. The seal 238 can be anysuitable configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the seal 238is a substantially impermeable membrane that can include a portionconfigured to removably adhere to the proximal surface of the transferadapter 220 (e.g., via an applied adhesive or via a self-adhesiveproperty of the material forming the seal 238). In this manner, the seal238 can fluidically isolate the inner volume 236 to substantiallymaintain the sterility of the inner volume 236 and/or the puncturemember 250 and disinfection member 240 disposed therein. Moreover, byfluidically isolating the inner volume 236, the seal 238 can maintain arelative humidity within the inner volume 236 that is sufficient tosubstantially prevent evaporation of a disinfection agent disposedtherein, as described in further detail herein.

As described above, the disinfection member 240 is at least partiallydisposed within the inner volume 236 of the transfer adapter 220. Thedisinfection member 240 can be any suitable shape, size, orconfiguration. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the disinfectionmember 240 is a diaphragm or the like that can have a surface 243 thatis substantially impregnated with a disinfecting agent such as, thosedescribed above. In other embodiments, the disinfection member 240 caninclude a surface 243 that is formed from and/or coated with adisinfecting material such as, for example, a silver compound. In someembodiments, substantially the entire disinfection member 240 can beformed from and/or coated with the disinfecting material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the disinfection member 240 defines a set of cuts241 that at least partially form a set of fingers or flaps 242. The cuts241 extend substantially through the disinfection member 240. In thismanner, a force can be exerted on, for example, the surface 243 of thedisinfection member 240 that is sufficient to move, separate, and/orotherwise reconfigure the fingers 241, as described in further detailherein. Furthermore, the cuts 241 each include an end portion that isconfigured to reduce tearing of the disinfection member 240 when thefingers 241 are moved relative to one another. For example, as shown inFIG. 4, the cuts 241 define an end portion with a substantially circularhole that can, for example, reduce stress concentration risers thatcould otherwise lead to tearing of the disinfection member 240 when thefingers 241 were moved relative to one another.

Although shown in FIG. 4 as defining six cuts 241 that form six fingers242, in other embodiments, a disinfection member can include more thansix cuts to form more than six fingers or less than six cuts to formless than six fingers. For example, a disinfection member can includefour cuts that at least partially form four fingers. In otherembodiments, a disinfection member can include eight cuts that at leastpartially form eight fingers. Moreover, although the disinfection member240 in FIG. 4 is shown as being substantially symmetrical, in otherembodiments, a disinfection member can include a set of cuts and fingersthan are different shapes, sizes, lengths, position relative to thecenter as well as other fingers (e.g. not symmetrical), etc.

As shown, for example, in FIG. 6, the disinfection member 240 can bedisposed within the inner volume 236 of the transfer adapter 220. Moreparticularly, in some embodiments, the disinfection member 240 can becoupled to an inner surface of the annular walls 225. In someembodiments, the disinfection member 240 can define a friction fit withthe inner surface of the annular walls 225 to substantially retain thedisinfection member 240 in a substantially fixed position within theinner volume 236 (e.g., along the tapered portion 227 as shown in FIG.6). In some embodiments, the disinfection member 240 can be coupled tothe inner surface via an adhesive or the like. Although shown in FIG. 6as being disposed at or along the tapered portion 227, in otherembodiments, the disinfection member 240 can be disposed at or along thesecond portion 228 or at or along the third portion 226. As described infurther detail herein, when the fluid reservoir 210 is placed in itsfirst position within the inner volume 236, the surface 243 of thedisinfection member 240 is placed in contact with a surface of the fluidreservoir 210 to substantially disinfect the surface.

As described above, in some embodiments, a seal 238 (FIGS. 2 and 3) canbe removably coupled to the transfer adapter 220 to fluidically isolatethe inner volume 236 from a volume outside of the transfer adapter 220.In some instances, by fluidically isolating the inner volume 236 arelative humidity can be maintained within the inner volume 236 thatcan, for example, substantially limit and/or prevent evaporation of thedisinfection agent. For example, in some embodiments, the disinfectionmember 240 can be a diaphragm formed from a porous material that can bea substrate to suspend, for example, an alcohol and/or chlorhexidinebased disinfection agent that would otherwise evaporate, at leastpartially, in a relatively low humidity and/or non-sealed environment.

As shown, for example, in FIG. 6, the puncture member 250 is at leastpartially disposed within the inner volume 236 of the transfer adapter220. The puncture member 250 includes a proximal end portion 251 and adistal end portion 252. The puncture member 250 can be, for example, alumen defining device such as a needle, catheter, cannula, and/or thelike. The distal end portion 252 of the puncture member 250 can bephysically and fluidically coupled to the port 224 of the transferadapter 220. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, the puncture member 250 canextend in a proximal direction from the port 243 toward the disinfectionmember 240. The proximal end portion 251 of the puncture member 250 caninclude a sharpened tip or the like that can be configured to puncture,pierce, and/or otherwise be inserted into the fluid reservoir 210 whenthe fluid reservoir 210 is placed in its second position within theinner volume 236, as described in further detail herein.

As shown, the puncture member 250 is at least temporarily disposedwithin a sheath 253. The sheath 253 can be any suitable member that isconfigured to surround and/or enclose at least a portion of the puncturemember 250. In some embodiments, the sheath 253 can be formed from amaterial that can be deformed, compressed, and/or otherwisereconfigured. For example, in some embodiments, the sheath 253 can betransitioned between a first configuration, in which the sheath 253substantially surrounds or encloses at least a portion of the puncturemember 250 (see e.g., FIG. 6), and a second configuration, in which atleast a portion of the puncture member 250 extends beyond a distalsurface of the sheath 253 (see e.g., FIG. 8). Moreover, the sheath 253can be formed from a substantially impermeable material that canfluidically isolate a volume inside of the sheath 253 from a volumeoutside of the sheath 253. As such, the sheath 253 can fluidicallyisolate the puncture member 250 from a volume outside of the sheath 253when in the first configuration to maintain sterility of the puncturemember 250 prior to the sheath 253 being transitioned to the secondconfiguration, as described in further detail herein. The sheath 253 canalso be configured to function as a safety feature to prevent unintendedneedle-stick injuries to healthcare workers and/or patients during thepreparation, execution, and/or post-procedure activities that involvehandling the transfer adapter.

As shown in FIG. 5, the fluid reservoir 210 included in the collectiondevice 200 can be substantially cylindrical and can be configured toreceive and/or store a volume of a bodily-fluid. For example, in someembodiments, the fluid reservoir 210 can be any suitable reservoirdescribed in the '420 patent incorporated by reference above. In someembodiments, the fluid reservoir 210 can define a negative pressure(e.g., can be substantially evacuated). In some embodiments, the fluidreservoir 210 can be, for example, a BacT/ALERT® SN or a BacT/ALERT® FA(manufactured by BIOMERIEUX, INC.), a BD Vacutainer® or a BDMicrotainer® (manufactured Becton, Dickinson, and Company (BD)), aNanotainer™ (manufactured by Thermos), and/or any suitable reservoir,vial, microvial, microliter vial, container, microcontainer, or thelike. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir 110 can be any suitablesample or culture bottle such as, for example, aerobic culture bottles,anaerobic culture bottles, and or the like that can include a culturemedium or the like. In this manner, the culture bottle can receive abodily-fluid sample, which can then be test for the presence of, forexample, Gram-Positive bacteria, Gram-Negative bacteria, yeast, and/orany other organism and subsequently tested using, for example, aPCR-based system to identify a specific organism. In some instances, theculture bottle can receive a bodily-fluid sample and the culture medium(disposed therein) can be tested for the presence of any suitableorganism. If such a test of the culture medium yields a positive result,the culture medium can be subsequently tested using a PCR-based systemto identify a specific organism.

The fluid reservoir 210 includes a distal end portion 211 that can form,for example, a neck or the like. The distal end portion 211 includes adistal surface 212 that can include and/or the can form a port 213. Forexample, in some embodiments, the port 213 can be a self closing port orthe like that can be transitioned between a substantially closedconfiguration, in which an inner volume defined by the fluid reservoir210 is fluidically isolated from a volume outside of the fluid reservoir210, and an open configuration, in which the inner volume of the fluidreservoir 210 is placed in fluid communication with a volume outside ofthe fluid reservoir 210. In some instances, the port 213 can betransitioned between the closed position and the open configuration byadvancing the puncture member 250 through the port 213 (e.g., theproximal end portion 251 of the puncture member 250 pierces the port213), and can be transitioned from the open configuration to the closedconfiguration by retracting the puncture member 250, as described in thefurther detail herein.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 200 to couplethe port 224 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV and/or a standard winged butterfly needle, as describedabove. The lumen defining device can be placed in communication with abodily-fluid in a patient to define a fluid flow path between a flow ofthe bodily-fluid within the patient and the lumen defined by thepuncture member 250. In other words, the lumen defining device and theport 224 place the puncture member 250 in fluid communication with aflow of bodily-fluid in the patient. With the port 224 coupled to thelumen defining device, the user can manipulate the collection device 200remove the seal 238 from the transfer adapter 220. For example, in someembodiments, the user can peel the seal 238 away from the proximalsurface of the transfer adapter 220. Although described as removing theseal 238 after coupling the port 224 to the lumen defining device, inother instances, the user can manipulate the collection device 200 toremove the seal 238 prior coupling the port 224 to the lumen definingdevice.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 210 in a distal direction relativeto the transfer adapter 220 to place the fluid reservoir 210 in thefirst position within the inner volume 236, thereby placing thecollection device 200 in a first configuration, as indicated by thearrow AA in FIG. 6. In this manner, the disinfection member 240 can beplaced in contact with the surface 212 of the fluid reservoir 210 tosubstantially disinfect the surface 212. In some embodiments, the usercan maintain the fluid reservoir 210 in the first position for apredetermined time period to allow the disinfection agent to disinfectthe surface 212 of the fluid reservoir 210. Similarly stated, the usercan place the fluid reservoir 210 in the first position and can hold thefluid reservoir 210 substantially in the first position to allow thedisinfection member 240 to disinfect the surface 212 of the fluidreservoir 210. In other embodiments, the fluid reservoir 210 need not beheld in the first position for the disinfection member 240 to disinfectthe surface 212 of the fluid reservoir 210. For example, in someembodiments, the user can move the fluid reservoir 210 in the distaldirection and in a substantially continuous manner to place the fluidreservoir 210 in the first position and then the second position.

As described above, the disinfection member 240 can be transitioned(e.g., opened or otherwise reconfigured) between the first configurationand the second configuration as the fluid reservoir 210 is moved fromthe first position toward the second position. In this manner, thesurface 243 of the disinfection member 240 can be placed in contact withthe surface 212 of the fluid reservoir 210 when the fluid reservoir 210is placed in the first position and can “wipe” the surface 212 of thefluid reservoir 210 as the fluid reservoir 210 is moved from the firstposition to the second position. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, as thefluid reservoir 210 is advanced in the distal direction beyond thedisinfection member 240, the fingers 242 of the disinfection member 240can deform, bend, and/or otherwise reconfigure to allow the fluidreservoir 210 to pass in a distal direction beyond the disinfectionmember 240.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 210 to the second position toplace the puncture member 250 into contact with the surface 212, therebyplacing the collection device 200 in a second configuration, asindicated by the arrow BB in FIG. 8. For example, as the fluid reservoir210 is moved in the distal direction toward the second position, theproximal end portion 251 of the puncture member 250 is placed in contactwith the port 213 included in and/or defined by the surface 212.Similarly stated, the proximal end portion 251 of the puncture member250 can contact the port 213 of the fluid reservoir 210 prior to thefluid reservoir 210 being placed in the second position such thatfurther distal movement of the fluid reservoir 210 (e.g., to or towardsthe second position) advances the surface 212 of the fluid reservoir 210beyond the proximal end portion 251 of the puncture member 250.Moreover, the distal movement of the fluid reservoir 210 toward thesecond position can transition the sheath 253 substantially surroundingthe puncture member 250 from its first configuration to its secondconfiguration. For example, as described above, the sheath 253 can beformed from a deformable material that can be configured to bend, fold,compress, deflect, and/or otherwise deform when exposed to a force.Therefore, as the fluid reservoir 210 is advanced in the distaldirection toward the second position, the surface 212 exerts a force onthe sheath 253 that is sufficient to transition the sheath 253 from itsfirst configuration to its second configuration, as shown in FIG. 8.Thus, the distal end portion 251 of the puncture member 250 can extendbeyond the sheath 253 to pierce the port 213 of the fluid reservoir 210such that a portion of the puncture member 250 is disposed in an innervolume defined by the fluid reservoir 210.

With the puncture member 250 defining a lumen and with the fluidreservoir 210 in the second position, the portion of the puncture member250 can be disposed within the fluid reservoir 210 such that the lumendefined by the puncture member 250 is in fluid communication with theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 210. Thus, with the fluid flow pathdefined between the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient and the lumendefined by the puncture member 250 (e.g., via the lumen defining deviceand the port 224, as described above), the puncture member 250 can placethe fluid reservoir 210 in fluid communication with the flow ofbodily-fluid in the patient. As described above, the fluid reservoir 210can define a negative pressure that can exert a suction force in or onthe lumen of the puncture member 250 when the puncture member 250pierces the fluid reservoir 210. In turn, the negative pressure definedby in the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 210 can exert a suctionforce within, for example, a vein of the patient to urge thebodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path to be disposed in theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 210. In some instances, thebodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a desired volumeof bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluid reservoir 210, as describedabove. With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed in the fluidreservoir 210, the fluid reservoir 210 can be moved in the proximaldirection to, for example, remove the fluid reservoir 210 from the innervolume 236 of the transfer adapter 220. In some instances, a secondfluid reservoir (not shown) can be inserted into the transfer adapter220 and placed in fluid communication with the flow of bodily-fluid inthe patient in substantially the same manner as described above. Thus,any suitable number of fluid reservoirs can be inserted into thetransfer adapter 220 such that a piercable surface of each fluidreservoir is disinfected prior to receiving a flow of bodily-fluid. Assuch, the amount of contaminants and/or microbes transferred to abodily-fluid sample from, for example, a piercable surface of a fluidreservoir can be reduced and/or substantially eliminated.

As shown in FIG. 8, arrangement of the annular walls 225 of the transferadapter 220 is associated with the general shape of the fluid reservoir210. For example, the first portion 226, the second portion 228, and thetapered portion 227 of the annular walls 225 are arranged tosubstantially correspond to a shape of the fluid reservoir 210 when thefluid reservoir 210 is in the second position. In some embodiments, thesmaller diameter of the first portion 226 of the annular walls 225 can,for example, reduce material usage and/or facilitate the handling of thetransfer adapter 220. In some embodiments, the arrangement of the firstportion 226 and the tapered portion 227 can substantially limit themovement of the fluid reservoir 210 in the distal direction. Forexample, in some embodiments, when the fluid reservoir 210 is in thesecond configuration, a surface of the fluid reservoir 210 can be placedin contact with the tapered portion 227 of the transfer adapter 220. Inthis manner, the tapered portion 227 can substantially limit anyaddition movement of the fluid reservoir 210 in the distal directionrelative to the transfer adapter 210. In some embodiments, limiting thedistal movement of the fluid reservoir 210 can substantially preventand/or limit damage to, for example, the port 213 due to an undesirableforce being exerted on the port 213 by a surface of the transfer adapter220 and/or the puncture member 250.

Although the collection device 200 is described above as being coupledto the lumen defining device such as, for example, a peripheral IVand/or a standard winged butterfly needle, in other embodiments, thecollection device 200 can be coupled to any suitable intermediatedevice. For example, in some embodiments, the collection device 200 canbe physically and fluidically coupled to a diversion device and/ormechanism that is, in turn, physically and fluidically coupled to theperipheral IV and/or the standard winged butterfly needle. The diversiondevice and/or mechanism can be any suitable device such as, for example,those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,535,241 entitled, “Fluid DiversionMechanism for Bodily-Fluid Sampling,” filed Oct. 12, 2012, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.As such, the user can manipulate the diversion device and/or mechanismto divert a pre-sample volume of bodily-fluid into, for example, apre-sample reservoir or the like. In some instances, the pre-samplereservoir can be configured to receive and fluidically isolate thepre-sample volume of bodily-fluid, which can contain externalcontaminants and/or microbes that otherwise can be transferred to thefluid reservoir 210. Once the pre-sample volume is fluidically isolated,the user can manipulate the diversion device and/or mechanism such thata sample volume of bodily-fluid can flow through the diversion deviceand/or mechanism and the collection device 200 to be disposed in thefluid reservoir 210.

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate a bodily-fluid collection device 300, according toanother embodiment. Generally, the bodily-fluid collection device 300(also referred to herein as “collection device”) is configured todisinfect one or more interfaces prior to defining a fluidic coupling toreduce external contaminants residing on the interfaces. Oncedisinfected, the one or more interfaces can be fluidically coupled toallow a flow of bodily-fluid that is substantially free of externalcontaminants to flow from a patient or an intermediary transfer device(e.g. a syringe) to a fluid reservoir.

The collection device 300 includes a transfer adapter 320, adisinfection member 340 (see e.g., FIGS. 9 and 10), a puncture member350 (see e.g., FIGS. 10-12), and a fluid reservoir 310. Some aspects ofthe collection device 300 can be similar in form and function ascorresponding aspects of the collection device 200, described above withreference to FIGS. 2-8. For example, the disinfection member 340 can besubstantially similar in form and function as the disinfection member240 described above. In this manner, the disinfection member 340includes a set of fingers 342 that can deform to transition thedisinfection member 340 between a first configuration and a secondconfiguration in substantially the same manner as described above. Thepuncture member 350 can be substantially similar in form and function asthe puncture member 250 described above. In this manner, the puncturemember 350 can include a proximal end portion 351 and a distal endportion 352 and can pierce a surface of the fluid reservoir 310, asdescribed above with reference to the puncture member 250 (see e.g.,FIG. 6). Moreover, the puncture member 350 can be at least temporarilydisposed within a sheath 353 that can be substantially similar to thesheath 253 described above. The sheath 353 can be transitioned between afirst configuration, in which the sheath 353 substantially surrounds thepuncture member 350, and a second configuration, in which a portion ofthe puncture member 350 extends in a proximal direction beyond a surfaceof the sheath 353, as described above with reference to the sheath 253(see e.g., FIGS. 6 and 8). The fluid reservoir 310 can be substantiallysimilar in form and function as the fluid reservoir 210 described above.In this manner, the fluid reservoir 310 can include a distal end portion311 having a surface 312 that defines a port 313, as described abovewith reference to the fluid reservoir 210 (see e.g., FIG. 5). Thus,aspects of the collection device 300 that are substantially similar tothe corresponding aspects of the collection device 200 are not describedin further detail herein.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the transfer adapter 320 has a proximal endportion 321 and a distal end portion 323, and defines an inner volume336 therebetween. The transfer adapter 320 can be any suitable shape,size, or configuration. For example, the transfer adapter 320 can have aset of annular walls 325 that define at least a portion of the innervolume 336. The annular walls 325 of the transfer adapter 320 house atleast a portion of the disinfection member 340 and the puncture member350. In other words, the disinfection member and the puncture member 350are each at least partially disposed within the inner volume 336 definedby the transfer adapter 320. Moreover, at least a portion of the fluidreservoir 310 can be selectively disposed within the inner volume 336,as described in further detail herein.

As described above with reference to the transfer adapter 220 of FIGS.2-8, the annular walls 325 of the transfer adapter 320 can include afirst cylindrical portion 326 (also referred to herein as “firstportion”), a second cylindrical portion 328 (also referred to herein as“second portion”), and a tapered portion 327 disposed therebetween. Thearrangement of the annular walls 325 can be substantially similar to thearrangement of the annular walls 225 of the transfer adapter 220described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Accordingly, a diametera portion of the inner volume 336 (e.g., an inner diameter) defined bythe annular walls 325 can be related to a shape of at least a portion ofthe fluid reservoir 310, as described in further detail herein.

The annular walls 325 also include a set of release members 330 anddefine a set of vents 329. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the set of vents329 can extend substantially through the set of annular walls 325 toallow venting of the inner volume 336. Although shown in FIGS. 9 and 10as being substantially elongated slots, in other embodiments, theannular walls 325 can define a set of vents having any suitable shape orconfiguration. For example, in some embodiments, the annular walls 325can define a set of vents that are substantially circular. Moreover,although the set of vents 329 are substantially uniform in shape and/orin spacing, in other embodiments, the annular walls 325 can define a setof vents in any suitable arrangement. For example, in some embodiments,a first subset of vents can be a first size and a second subset of ventscan be a second size, different from the first size. In someembodiments, the annular walls 325 can define a set of vents that aredefined in a substantially staggered arrangement. As described infurther detail herein, the vents 329 can allow a gas (e.g., air,evaporated disinfection agent, etc.) to flow out of and/or into theinner volume 336.

The release members 330 can be monolithically formed with the transferadapter 320 and can be engaged by a user to transition the releasemembers 330 relative to the annular walls 325 between a firstconfiguration and a second configuration. As shown in FIG. 10, therelease members 330 include a first end portion 331 and a second endportion 332. The first end portion 331 can be engaged by a user totransition the release members between the first configuration and thesecond configuration. For example, in some instances, a user can exert aforce on the first end portion 331 of the release member 330 to move thefirst end portion 331 in a substantially radial direction toward theinner volume 336. The arrangement of the release members 330 can be suchthat as the first end portion 331 is moved in the substantially radialdirection toward the inner volume 336, the second end portion 332 ismoved in a substantially radial direction that away from the innervolume 336 (e.g., the second end portion 332 is moved in a directionsubstantially opposite to the direction of the first end portion 331),as described in further detail herein. The second end portion 332 of therelease members 330 includes a tab 333 that can be placed in contactwith a surface of the fluid reservoir 310 to selectively limit movementof the fluid reservoir 310 in the distal direction when the releasemembers 330 are in the first configuration, as described in furtherdetail herein. Moreover, when the release members 330 are in the secondconfiguration and the fluid reservoir 310 is disposed in the innervolume 336, the tabs 333 can be placed in a position away from (e.g.,not in contact with) the fluid reservoir 310, as described in furtherdetail herein.

Although the transfer adapter 320 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 asincluding a set of two release members 330, in other embodiments, atransfer adapter can include any number of release members 330. Forexample, in some embodiments, a transfer adapter can include a singlerelease member that can be manipulated in a similar manner as describedabove. In other embodiments, a transfer adapter can include three ormore release members that can be manipulated in a similar manner asdescribed above. Although the release members 330 are described above asbeing transitioned in a substantially radial direction between a firstconfiguration and a second configuration, in other embodiments, atransfer adapter can include one of more release members that can bemoved and/or transitioned between a first configuration and a secondconfiguration in, for example, a substantially axial direction relativeto a centerline axis defined by the transfer adapter 320.

Although the release members 330 are described above as beingtransitioned as a result of an applied force by a user, in otherembodiments, one or more release members can be transitioned between afirst configuration and a second configuration as a result of anysuitable actuation. For example, one or more release members can betransitioned between its first configuration and its secondconfiguration as a result of an electrical signal (e.g., an electricalactuation). In other embodiments, a user can indirectly exert a forcethat is operable in transitioning one or more release members betweenthe first configuration and the second configuration. For example, insome embodiments, the user can exert a force on, for example, the fluidreservoir 310 to place a surface of the fluid reservoir 310 in contactwith, for example, a tab disposed at an end portion of one or morerelease member. In such embodiments, the force exerted by the surface ofthe fluid reservoir 310 on the tab of each release member can besufficient to transition the one or more release members from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration.

The proximal end portion 321 of the transfer adapter 320 can besubstantially open (see e.g., FIGS. 11 and 12) to movably receive atleast a portion of the fluid reservoir 310. Said another way, at least aportion of the fluid reservoir 310 can be inserted through an openingdefined by the proximal end portion 321 of the transfer adapter 320 tomovably dispose the portion of the fluid reservoir 310 within the innervolume 336. As described in further detail herein, the fluid reservoir310 can be inserted through the proximal end portion 321 of the transferadapter 320 and can be placed in a first position (e.g., a proximalposition) and a second position (e.g., a distal position) within theinner volume 336.

The distal end portion 323 of the transfer adapter 320 includes a port324 that can be physically and fluidically coupled to any suitable lumendefining device such as a catheter, cannula, needle, trocar, or thelike. For example, in some embodiments, the port 324 can be a Luer Lok®that can be physically and fluidically coupled to a peripheralintravenous (IV) needle and/or the like, as described with reference tothe port 224 of the transfer adapter 220. In addition, the port 324 canbe in fluid communication with the puncture member 350 disposed withinthe inner volume 336. Therefore, when the port 324 is fluidicallycoupled to the lumen defining device, the puncture member 350 is placedin fluid communication with the lumen defining device, as describedabove with reference to the port 224 and the puncture member 250,respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the disinfection member 340 is at leastpartially disposed within the inner volume 336 of the transfer adapter320. More particularly, in some embodiments, the disinfection member 340can be coupled to an inner surface of the annular walls 325 and can bedisposed in a position relative to the transfer adapter 320 such that aproximal surface of the disinfection member 340 is substantiallycoplanar with a proximal surface of the transfer adapter 320 (e.g.,substantially flush or even). In some embodiments, the disinfectionmember 340 can define a friction fit with the inner surface of theannular walls 325 to substantially retain the disinfection member 340 ina substantially fixed position within the inner volume 336. In someembodiments, the disinfection member 340 can be coupled to the innersurface via an adhesive or the like. As described in further detailherein, when the fluid reservoir 310 is placed in its first position, asurface of the disinfection member 340 (e.g., the proximal surface) isplaced in contact with a surface of the fluid reservoir 310 tosubstantially disinfect the surface.

Although not shown in FIGS. 9-12, the collection device 300 can includea seal or the like that can be removably coupled to, for example, aproximal surface of the transfer adapter 320. The seal can be anysuitable configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the seal canbe substantially similar to, the seal 238 described above with referenceto FIG. 2. The arrangement of the disinfection member 340 and theproximal end portion 321 of the transfer adapter 320 can be such thatwhen the seal is coupled to the transfer adapter 320, the sealsubstantially covers the proximal surface of the disinfection member340. In some instances, the seal can fluidically isolate the proximalsurface of the disinfection member 340 to maintain a relative humiditythat is sufficient to substantially prevent evaporation of adisinfection agent disposed on or in the disinfection member 340, asdescribed above.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 300 to couplethe port 324 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV, as described above. The lumen defining device can beplaced in communication with a bodily-fluid in a patient such that afluid flow path is defined between a flow of the bodily-fluid within thepatient and the lumen defined by the puncture member 350 (e.g., via theport 324). In some instances, with the port 324 coupled to the lumendefining device, the user can manipulate the collection device 300remove a seal or the like from the transfer adapter 320, as describedabove with reference to the seal 238.

As shown in FIG. 10, the user can place the collection device 300 in afirst configuration by moving the fluid reservoir 310 in a distaldirection relative to the transfer adapter 320 to place the fluidreservoir 310 in contact with the disinfection member 340 (e.g., thefirst position of the fluid reservoir 310). In this manner, thedisinfection member 340 can contact the surface 312 of the fluidreservoir 310 to substantially disinfect the surface 312. In someembodiments, the user can maintain the fluid reservoir 310 in the firstposition for a predetermined time period to allow the disinfection agentto disinfect the surface 312 of the fluid reservoir 310. Similarlystated, the user can place the fluid reservoir 310 in the first positionand can hold the fluid reservoir 310 substantially in the first positionto allow the disinfection member 340 sufficient time (as described bydisinfection agent manufacturer instructions) to disinfect the surface312 of the fluid reservoir 310. In other embodiments, the fluidreservoir 310 need not be held in the first position for thedisinfection member 340 to disinfect the surface 312 of the fluidreservoir 310. For example, in some embodiments, the user can move thefluid reservoir 310 in the distal direction and in a substantiallycontinuous manner to place the fluid reservoir 310 in the first positionand then the second position.

The disinfection member 340 can be transitioned (e.g., opened orotherwise reconfigured) between the first configuration and the secondconfiguration as the fluid reservoir 310 is moved from the firstposition toward the second position, as described above with referenceto the disinfection member 240. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, as thefluid reservoir 310 is advanced in the distal direction beyond thedisinfection member 340, the fingers 342 of the disinfection member 340can deform, bend, and/or otherwise reconfigure to allow the fluidreservoir 310 to pass in a distal direction beyond the disinfectionmember 340. The fluid reservoir 310 can be advanced in a distaldirection relative to the disinfection member 340 to place thecollection device 300 in a second configuration, as indicated by thearrow CC in FIG. 11. For example, the user can exert a force of thefluid reservoir 310 that moves the fluid reservoir 310 in the distaldirection to place a surface of the fluid reservoir 310 in contact withthe tab 333 of the release members 330. Therefore, with the releasemembers 330 in the first configuration, the tabs 333 can substantiallylimit further distal movement of the fluid reservoir 310, as describedabove.

In some embodiments, the collection device 300 can be retained in thesecond configuration for a predetermined time to, for example, allow adisinfection agent to evaporate from the surface 312 of the fluidreservoir 310. For example, in some embodiments, the distal end portion311 of the fluid reservoir 310 can be positioned within the inner volume336 to place the surface 312 of the fluid reservoir 310 in fluidcommunication with a volume outside of the transfer adapter 320 via theset of vents 329. In this manner, the disinfection agent that wastransferred to the surface 312 of the fluid reservoir 310 from thedisinfection member 340 can be allowed to evaporate. For example, insome instances, the vents 329 can allow an air flow into the innervolume 336 of the transfer adapter 320 that is operable in evaporatingthe disinfection agent disposed on the surface. Thus, the disinfectionagent can substantially disinfect the surface 312 of the fluid reservoir310 and then can evaporate from the surface 312 prior to the fluidreservoir 310 being placed in the second position.

With the disinfection agent substantially evaporated from the surface312 of the fluid reservoir 310, the user can exert a force on the firstend portion 331 of the release members 330 to transition the releasemembers 330 from the first configuration to the second configuration, asindicated by the arrows DD and EE in FIG. 12. In this manner, second endportion 332 of each release member 330 can move in a substantiallyopposite direction of the corresponding first end portion 331. Saidanother way, if the first end portion 331 of one of the release members330 is moved in the DD direction, the second end portion 332 of thatrelease member 330 is moved substantially in the EE direction.Conversely, in the first end portion of one of the release members 330is moved in the EE direction, the second end portion of that releasemember 330 is moved substantially in the DD direction, as shown in FIG.12.

With the release members 330 in the second configuration, the user canmove the fluid reservoir 310 to the second position to place thepuncture member 350 into contact with the surface 312, thereby placingthe collection device 300 in a third configuration, as indicated by thearrow FF in FIG. 12. For example, as the fluid reservoir 310 is moved inthe distal direction toward the second position, the proximal endportion 351 of the puncture member 350 is placed in contact with theport 313 (e.g., pierces the port 313) included in and/or defined by thesurface 312, as described in detail above with reference to FIG. 8.Moreover, the distal movement of the fluid reservoir 310 toward thesecond position can transition the sheath 353 substantially surroundingthe puncture member 350 from its first configuration to its secondconfiguration, as described above. Thus, the distal end portion 351 ofthe puncture member 350 can extend beyond the sheath 353 to pierce theport 313 of the fluid reservoir 310 such that a portion of the puncturemember 350 is disposed in an inner volume defined by the fluid reservoir310, as shown in FIG. 12.

With the puncture member 350 defining a lumen and with the fluidreservoir 310 in the second position, the portion of the puncture member350 can be disposed within the fluid reservoir 310 such that the lumendefined by the puncture member 350 is in fluid communication with theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 310. Thus, with the fluid flow pathdefined between the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient and the lumendefined by the puncture member 350 (e.g., via the lumen defining deviceand the port 324, as described above), the puncture member 350 can placethe fluid reservoir 310 in fluid communication with the flow ofbodily-fluid in the patient. As described above, the fluid reservoir 310can define a negative pressure that can exert a suction force in or onthe lumen of the puncture member 350 when the puncture member 350pierces the fluid reservoir 310 and, in turn, the negative pressure canexert a suction force within, for example, a vein of the patient to urgethe bodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path to be disposed inthe inner volume of the fluid reservoir 310. In some instances, thebodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a desired volumeof bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluid reservoir 310, as describedabove. With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed in the fluidreservoir 310, the fluid reservoir 310 can be moved in the proximaldirection to, for example, remove the fluid reservoir 310 from the innervolume 336 of the transfer adapter 320. In some instances, a secondfluid reservoir (not shown) can be inserted into the transfer adapter320 and placed in fluid communication with the flow of bodily-fluid inthe patient in substantially the same manner as described above. Thus,any suitable number of fluid reservoirs can be inserted into thetransfer adapter 320 such that a piercable surface of each fluidreservoir is disinfected prior to receiving a flow of bodily-fluid. Assuch, the amount of contaminants and/or microbes transferred to abodily-fluid sample from, for example, a piercable surface of a fluidreservoir can be reduced and/or substantially eliminated. Moreover, byallowing the disinfection agent on the surface 312 of the fluidreservoir 310 to substantially evaporate prior to the puncture member350 piercing the surface 310, the likelihood of the disinfection agentbeing transferred to the flow of the bodily-fluid and/or to the innervolume of the fluid reservoir 310 can be reduced and/or substantiallyeliminated.

Although the collection device 200 (FIGS. 2-8) and the collection device300 (FIGS. 9-12) are shown above as including the disinfection members240 and 340, respectively, that are each arranged as a diaphragm thatcan be transitioned from the first (e.g., closed) configuration to thesecond (e.g., open) configuration, in other embodiments, a collectiondevice can include any suitable disinfection member. For example, FIGS.13-17 illustrate a bodily-fluid collection device 400 (also referred toherein as “collection device”) according to another embodiment. Thecollection device 400 includes a transfer adapter 420, a disinfectionmember 440 (see e.g., FIGS. 14 and 15), a puncture member 450 (see e.g.,FIGS. 16 and 17), and a fluid reservoir 410. Some aspects of thecollection device 400 can be similar in form and function ascorresponding aspects of the collection device 200, described above withreference to FIGS. 2-8. For example, the transfer adapter 420 can besubstantially similar in form and function as the transfer adapter 220described above. Thus, aspects of the transfer adapter 420 are describedbelow to identify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects arenot described in further detail herein.

The transfer adapter 420 can have a proximal end portion 421 and adistal end portion 423, and can define an inner volume 436, as describedabove. The transfer adapter 420 can include a set of annular walls 425having a first portion 426, a second portion 428, and a tapered portion427, as described with above with reference to the annular walls 225 ofthe transfer adapter 220. The distal end portion 423 can include a port424 that can be substantially similar to the port 224 included in thetransfer adapter 220. The proximal end portion 421 can be substantiallyopen and configured to movably receive the fluid reservoir 410, asdescribed above. Moreover, at least a portion of the disinfection member440 and at least a portion of the puncture member 450 can be disposedwithin the inner volume 436.

The puncture member 450 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the puncture member 250, described above with reference toFIGS. 3-8. Thus, aspects of the puncture member 450 are described belowto identify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The puncture member 450 can includea proximal end portion 451 and a distal end portion 452. The distal endportion 452 can be coupled to the port 424 of the transfer adapter 420(e.g., physically and fluidically coupled), and the proximal end portion451 can be selectively placed in contact with a surface of the fluidreservoir 410, as described above with reference to the puncture member250. Moreover, the puncture member 450 can be at least temporarilydisposed within a sheath 453 that can be substantially similar to thesheath 253 described above. The sheath 453 can be transitioned between afirst configuration, in which the sheath 453 substantially surrounds thepuncture member 450, and a second configuration, in which a portion ofthe puncture member 450 extends in a proximal direction beyond a surfaceof the sheath 453, as described above with reference to the sheath 253(see e.g., FIGS. 6 and 8).

The fluid reservoir 410 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the fluid reservoir 210, described above with reference toFIG. 5. Thus, aspects of the fluid reservoir 410 are described below toidentify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The fluid reservoir 410 can includea distal end portion 411 having a surface 412 that defines a port 413,as described above with reference to the fluid reservoir 210 (see e.g.,FIG. 5). As described in further detail herein, the fluid reservoir 410can be inserted into the inner volume 436 of the transfer adapter 420and can be moved to a first position and a second position relative tothe transfer adapter 420.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the disinfection member 440 is movablydisposed within the inner volume 436 of the transfer adapter 420 betweena first position (e.g., a proximal position (FIG. 16)) and a secondposition (e.g., a distal position (FIG. 17)). The disinfection member440 can be, for example, a pad, a swab, a sponge, and/or the like thatcan include a disinfecting agent. The disinfection member 440 includes afirst surface 443 and a second surface 444, opposite the first surface443. In some embodiments, at least the first surface 443 of thedisinfection member 440 can be impregnated with a disinfecting agentsuch as, those described above. In some embodiments, the disinfectionmember 440 can include and/or can define a portion that is substantiallyporous, for example, to act as a substrate for the disinfection agent.As described in further detail herein, when the fluid reservoir 410 isplaced in its first position within the inner volume 436, thedisinfection member 440 is placed in contact with the surface 412 of thefluid reservoir 410 to substantially disinfect the surface 412.

The second surface 444 of the disinfection member 440 includes a port445 or the like that can selectively receive a portion of the puncturemember 450. For example, in some embodiments, the port 445 can be aself-closing and/or self-healing port that can be transitioned between afirst (e.g., closed) configuration and a second (e.g., open)configuration. By way of example, in some instances, the puncture member450 can pierce the port 445 to place the port 445 in its secondconfiguration and, upon removing the puncture member 450 the port 445can automatically transition to its first configuration (e.g., theclosed configuration).

As shown in FIG. 14, a bias member 460 can be disposed in the innervolume 436 of the transfer adapter 420. More particularly, the biasmember 460 has a first end portion 461 that can be coupled to an innersurface (e.g., a distal surface) of the transfer adapter 420, and asecond end portion 462 that can be in contact with and/or coupled to thesecond surface 444 of the disinfection member 440. Similarly stated, thebias member 460 can be suspended from the inner surface of the transferadapter 420 and can be coupled to the disinfection member 440 to suspendthe disinfection member 440 in the inner volume 436. The bias member 460can be, for example, a spring or the like that can be transitionedbetween a first (e.g., extended) configuration and a second (e.g.,compressed) configuration, as described in further detail herein.

Although not shown in FIGS. 13-17, the collection device 400 can includea seal or the like that can be removably coupled to, for example, aproximal surface of the transfer adapter 420. The seal can be anysuitable configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the seal canbe substantially similar to the seal 238 described above with referenceto FIG. 2. In this manner, the seal can fluidically isolate the innervolume 436 to substantially maintain the sterility of the inner volume436 and/or the puncture member 450 and disinfection member 440 disposedtherein. Moreover, by fluidically isolating the inner volume 436, theseal can maintain a relative humidity within the inner volume 436 thatis sufficient to substantially prevent evaporation of a disinfectionagent disposed therein, as described above.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 400 to couplethe port 424 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV, as described above. The lumen defining device can beplaced in communication with a bodily-fluid in a patient such that afluid flow path is defined between a flow of the bodily-fluid within thepatient and the lumen defined by the puncture member 450 (e.g., via theport 424). In some instances, with the port 424 coupled to the lumendefining device, the user can manipulate the collection device 400remove a seal or the like from the transfer adapter 420, as describedabove with reference to the seal 238.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 410 in a distal direction relativeto the transfer adapter 420 to place the fluid reservoir 410 in thefirst position within the inner volume 436, thereby placing thecollection device 400 in a first configuration, as indicated by thearrow GG in FIG. 16. In this manner, the first surface 443 of thedisinfection member 440 can contact the surface 412 of the fluidreservoir 410 to substantially disinfect the surface 412. In someembodiments, the disinfection member 440 can be configured to, forexample, compress when placed in contact with the surface 412 of thefluid reservoir 410. In such embodiments, by compressing thedisinfection member 440, a disinfecting agent suspended in, for example,a porous substrate of the disinfection member 440 can be expelled (e.g.,squeezed) from the disinfection member 440 and deposited, at least inpart, on the surface 412 of the fluid reservoir 410.

In some embodiments, the user can maintain the fluid reservoir 410 inthe first position for a predetermined time period to allow thedisinfection agent to disinfect the surface 412 of the fluid reservoir410. Similarly stated, the user can place the fluid reservoir 410 in thefirst position and can hold the fluid reservoir 410 substantially in thefirst position to allow the disinfection member 440 to disinfect thesurface 412 of the fluid reservoir 410. In other embodiments, the fluidreservoir 410 need not be held in the first position for thedisinfection member 440 to disinfect the surface 412 of the fluidreservoir 410. For example, in some embodiments, the user can move thefluid reservoir 410 in the distal direction and in a substantiallycontinuous manner to place the fluid reservoir 410 in the first positionand then the second position.

With the disinfection member 440 in contact with the surface 412 of thefluid reservoir 410, the user can move the fluid reservoir 410 in thedistal direction to place the collection device 400 in a secondconfiguration, as indicated by the arrow HH in FIG. 17. Expandingfurther, the disinfection member 440 can be maintained in contact withthe surface 412 of the fluid reservoir 410 as the fluid reservoir 410 ismoved towards the second position. In other words, the distal movementof the fluid reservoir 410 moves the disinfection member 440 in thedistal direction. In this manner, a force exerted by the user to movethe fluid reservoir 410 in the distal direction is sufficient totransition the bias member 460 from its first configuration to itssecond configuration, as shown in FIG. 17. For example, the forceexerted by the user can be sufficient to overcome a reaction forceexerted by the bias member 460 that would otherwise maintain the biasmember 460 in the first configuration. Thus, the fluid reservoir 410 canbe placed in the second position.

As shown in FIG. 17, with the fluid reservoir 410 in the secondposition, the proximal end portion 451 of the puncture member 450 isplaced in contact with the port 413 (e.g., pierces the port 413)included in and/or defined by the surface 412, as described in detailabove with reference to FIG. 8. Moreover, the distal movement of thefluid reservoir 410 toward the second position can transition the sheath453 substantially surrounding the puncture member 450 from its firstconfiguration to its second configuration, as described above. Thus, theproximal end portion 451 of the puncture member 450 can extend beyondthe sheath 453 to pierce the port 413 of the fluid reservoir 410 suchthat a portion of the puncture member 450 is disposed in an inner volumedefined by the fluid reservoir 410, as shown in FIG. 17.

With the puncture member 450 defining a lumen and with the fluidreservoir 410 in the second position, the portion of the puncture member450 can be disposed within the fluid reservoir 410 such that the lumendefined by the puncture member 450 is in fluid communication with theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 410. Thus, with the fluid flow pathdefined between the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient and the lumendefined by the puncture member 450 (e.g., via the lumen defining deviceand the port 424, as described above), the puncture member 450 can placethe fluid reservoir 410 in fluid communication with the flow ofbodily-fluid in the patient. As described above, the fluid reservoir 410can define a negative pressure that can exert a suction force in or onthe lumen of the puncture member 450 when the puncture member 450pierces the fluid reservoir 410 and, in turn, the negative pressure canexert a suction force within, for example, a vein of the patient to urgethe bodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path to be disposed inthe inner volume of the fluid reservoir 410. In some instances, thebodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a desired volumeof bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluid reservoir 410, as describedabove. With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed in the fluidreservoir 410, the fluid reservoir 410 can be moved in the proximaldirection to, for example, remove the fluid reservoir 410 from the innervolume 436 of the transfer adapter 420. In some instances, a secondfluid reservoir (not shown) can be inserted into the transfer adapter420 and placed in fluid communication with the flow of bodily-fluid inthe patient in substantially the same manner as described above. Thus,any suitable number of fluid reservoirs can be inserted into thetransfer adapter 420 such that a piercable surface of each fluidreservoir is disinfected prior to receiving a flow of bodily-fluid. Assuch, the amount of contaminants and/or microbes transferred to abodily-fluid sample from, for example, a piercable surface of a fluidreservoir can be reduced and/or substantially eliminated. Moreover, byallowing the disinfection agent on the surface 412 of the fluidreservoir 410 to substantially evaporate prior to the puncture member450 piercing the surface 410, the likelihood of the disinfection agentbeing transferred to the flow of the bodily-fluid and/or to the innervolume of the fluid reservoir 410 can be reduced and/or substantiallyeliminated.

Although the collection devices 200 (FIGS. 2-8), 300 (FIGS. 9-12), and400 (FIGS. 13-17) are shown above as including the fluid reservoirs 210,310, and 410, that are moved in a substantially linear direction (e.g.,axial direction) between the first position and the second position, inother embodiments, a collection device can include a fluid reservoirthat is moved in a substantially nonlinear direction between a firstposition and a second position relative to a transfer adapter. Forexample, FIGS. 18-23 illustrate a bodily-fluid collection device 500(also referred to herein as “collection device”) according to anotherembodiment. The collection device 500 includes a transfer adapter 520, adisinfection member 540 (see e.g., FIGS. 19 and 21), a puncture member550 (see e.g., FIGS. 19, 22, and 23), and a fluid reservoir 510.

Some aspects of the collection device 500 can be similar in form andfunction as corresponding aspects of the collection device 200,described above with reference to FIGS. 2-8. For example, the puncturemember 550 can be substantially similar in form and function as thepuncture member 250, described above with reference to FIGS. 3-8. Thus,aspects of the puncture member 550 are described below to identify partsand/or portions, however, similar aspects are not described in furtherdetail herein. The puncture member 550 can include a proximal endportion 551 and a distal end portion 552 (see e.g., FIG. 19). The distalend portion 552 can be coupled to a portion of the transfer adapter 520,as described in further detail herein. The proximal end portion 551 canbe selectively placed in contact with a surface of the fluid reservoir510, as described above with reference to the puncture member 250.Moreover, the puncture member 550 can be at least temporarily disposedwithin a sheath 553 (FIG. 19) that can be substantially similar to thesheath 253 described above. The sheath 553 can be transitioned between afirst configuration, in which the sheath 553 substantially surrounds thepuncture member 550, and a second configuration, in which a portion ofthe puncture member 550 extends in a proximal direction beyond a surfaceof the sheath 553, as described above with reference to the sheath 253(see e.g., FIGS. 6 and 8).

The fluid reservoir 510 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the fluid reservoir 210, described above with reference toFIG. 5. Thus, aspects of the fluid reservoir 510 are described below toidentify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The fluid reservoir 510 can includea distal end portion 511 having a surface 512 that defines a port 513,as described above with reference to the fluid reservoir 210 (see e.g.,FIG. 5). As described in further detail herein, the fluid reservoir 510can be inserted into the inner volume 536 of the transfer adapter 520and can be moved to a first position and a second position relative tothe transfer adapter 520.

As shown in FIGS. 18-20, the transfer adapter 520 has a proximal endportion 521 and a distal end portion 523, and defines an inner volume536 therebetween. The proximal end portion 521 of the transfer adapter520 can be substantially open (see e.g., FIGS. 18 and 19) to movablyreceive at least a portion of the fluid reservoir 510. Said another way,at least a portion of the fluid reservoir 510 can be inserted through anopening defined by the proximal end portion 521 of the transfer adapter520 to movably dispose the portion of the fluid reservoir 510 within theinner volume 536. The distal end portion 523 of the transfer adapter 520includes a port 524 that can be physically and fluidically coupled toany suitable lumen defining device such as a catheter, cannula, needle,trocar, or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the port 524 canbe a Luer Lok® that can be physically and fluidically coupled to aperipheral intravenous (IV) needle and/or the like, as described withreference to the port 224 of the transfer adapter 220. In addition, theport 524 can be in fluid communication with the puncture member 550disposed within the inner volume 536, as described above with referenceto the port 224 and the puncture member 250, respectively. Therefore,when the port 524 is fluidically coupled to the lumen defining device,the puncture member 550 is placed in fluid communication with the lumendefining device, as described above with reference to the port 224 andthe puncture member 250, respectively.

The transfer adapter 520 can be any suitable shape, size, orconfiguration. For example, the transfer adapter 520 can have a set ofannular walls 525 that define at least a portion of the inner volume536. The annular walls 525 of the transfer adapter 520 house at least aportion of the disinfection member 540 and the puncture member 550. Inother words, the disinfection member and the puncture member 550 areeach at least partially disposed within the inner volume 536 defined bythe transfer adapter 520. Moreover, at least a portion of the fluidreservoir 510 can be selectively disposed within the inner volume 536,as described in further detail herein.

As described above with reference to the transfer adapter 220 of FIGS.2-8, the annular walls 525 of the transfer adapter 520 can include afirst cylindrical portion 526 (also referred to herein as “firstportion”), a second cylindrical portion 528 (also referred to herein as“second portion”), and a tapered portion 527 disposed therebetween. Thearrangement of the annular walls 525 can be substantially similar to thearrangement of the annular walls 225 of the transfer adapter 220described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5. Accordingly, a diametera portion of the inner volume 536 (e.g., an inner diameter) defined bythe annular walls 525 can be related to a shape of at least a portion ofthe fluid reservoir 510, as described in further detail herein.

As shown in FIG. 20, the annular walls 525 include an inner surface 534that include and/or define a set of threads 535. The threads 535 can be,for example, one or more protrusions that extend from the inner surface534 to substantially circumscribe the first portion 526 of the annularwalls 525. More particularly, the threads 535 can extend in asubstantially helical manner from a first end portion disposed adjacentto the tapered portion 527 of the annular walls 525 to a second endportion adjacent to a distal end portion of the first portion 526 of theannular walls 525. As shown, the threads 520 are spaced apart asubstantially uniform distance. In this manner, the distal end portion511 of the fluid reservoir 510 can be inserted into the space betweenthe first end portion of the threads 535 and the adjacent thread 535 andcan be rotated such that the distal end portion 511 of the fluidreservoir 510 is advanced along the threads 535. In this manner, thefluid reservoir 510 can be rotated to move the fluid reservoir 510 inthe distal direction between the first position and the second position,as described in further detail herein.

As shown in FIG. 19, the disinfection member 540 is movably disposedwithin the inner volume 536 of the transfer adapter 520. Moreparticularly, the disinfection member 540 can be disposed in the innervolume 536 and can be transitioned between a first configuration (seee.g., FIG. 22) and a second configuration (see e.g., FIG. 23). In someembodiments, the disinfection member 540 can have a diameter that isrelated to a diameter of at least a portion of the inner volume 536. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 19, the disinfection member 540 can bedisposed along the first portion 526 of the annular walls 525. In thismanner, the disinfection member 540 can have a diameter that issufficiently large to define a friction fit with at least a portion ofthe inner surface 534 such that the relative position of thedisinfection member 540 is retained until an external force is appliedto the disinfection member 540 that is sufficient to overcome thefriction fit, as described in further detail herein.

The disinfection member 540 can be, for example, a pad, a swab, asponge, and/or the like that can include a disinfecting agent. Thedisinfection member 540 includes a first surface 543 and a secondsurface 544, opposite the first surface 543. In some embodiments, thedisinfection member 540 can include and/or can define a portion that issubstantially porous. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, the disinfectionmember 540 can define a set of holes 546 that extend substantiallythrough the disinfection member 540. In this manner, the disinfectionmember 540 can act as a substrate that can suspend the disinfectionagent. As described in further detail herein, when the fluid reservoir510 is placed in its first position within the inner volume 536, thefirst surface 543 of the disinfection member 540 is placed in contactwith the surface 512 of the fluid reservoir 510 to substantiallydisinfect the surface 512. Moreover, the second surface 544 of thedisinfection member 540 can be in contact with a distal end of the innersurface 534 such that, when the fluid reservoir 510 is moved to thesecond position, the disinfection member 540 is compressed, therebytransitioning the disinfection member 540 from its first configurationto its second configuration, as described in further detail herein.

Although not shown in FIGS. 18-23, the collection device 500 can includea seal or the like that can be removably coupled to, for example, aproximal surface of the transfer adapter 520. The seal can be anysuitable configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the seal canbe substantially similar to the seal 238 described above with referenceto FIG. 2. In this manner, the seal can fluidically isolate the innervolume 536 to substantially maintain the sterility of the inner volume536 and/or the puncture member 550 and disinfection member 540 disposedtherein. Moreover, by fluidically isolating the inner volume 536, theseal can maintain a relative humidity within the inner volume 536 thatis sufficient to substantially prevent evaporation of a disinfectionagent disposed therein, as described above.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 500 to couplethe port 524 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV, as described above. The lumen defining device can beplaced in communication with a bodily-fluid in a patient such that afluid flow path is defined between a flow of the bodily-fluid within thepatient and the lumen defined by the puncture member 550 (e.g., via theport 524). In some instances, with the port 524 coupled to the lumendefining device, the user can manipulate the collection device 500remove a seal or the like from the transfer adapter 520, as describedabove with reference to the seal 238.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 510 in a distal direction relativeto the transfer adapter 520 to place the fluid reservoir 510 in thefirst position within the inner volume 536, thereby placing thecollection device 500 in a first configuration, as indicated by thearrow II in FIG. 22. In this manner, the first surface 543 of thedisinfection member 540 can contact the surface 512 of the fluidreservoir 510 to substantially disinfect the surface 512. In someembodiments, the disinfection member 540 can be configured to at leastpartially compress when placed in contact with the surface 512 of thefluid reservoir 510. In such embodiments, by at least partiallycompressing the disinfection member 540, a disinfecting agent suspendedtherein can be expelled (e.g., squeezed) from the disinfection member540 and deposited, at least in part, on the surface 512 of the fluidreservoir 510.

In some embodiments, the user can maintain the fluid reservoir 510 inthe first position for a predetermined time period to allow thedisinfection agent to disinfect the surface 512 of the fluid reservoir510. Similarly stated, the user can place the fluid reservoir 510 in thefirst position and can hold the fluid reservoir 510 substantially in thefirst position to allow the disinfection member 540 to disinfect thesurface 512 of the fluid reservoir 510. In other embodiments, the fluidreservoir 510 need not be held in the first position for thedisinfection member 540 to disinfect the surface 512 of the fluidreservoir 510. For example, in some embodiments, the user can move thefluid reservoir 510 in the distal direction and in a substantiallycontinuous manner to place the fluid reservoir 510 in the first positionand then the second position.

With the disinfection member 540 in contact with the surface 512 of thefluid reservoir 510, the user can rotate the fluid reservoir 510 toplace the distal end portion 511 in contact with the threads 535included in and/or defined by the inner surface 534, as indicated by thearrow JJ in FIG. 23. In this manner, the rotation of the fluid reservoir510 can advance the distal end portion 511 along a surface of thethreads and, as such, the fluid reservoir 510 can be moved in the distaldirection, as indicated by the arrow KK in FIG. 23. Expanding further,the disinfection member 540 can be maintained in contact with thesurface 512 of the fluid reservoir 510 as the fluid reservoir 510 ismoved towards the second position. In other words, the distal movementof the fluid reservoir 510 can compress the disinfection member 540 totransition the disinfection member 540 from its first configuration toits second configuration, as shown in FIG. 23.

As shown in FIG. 23, with the fluid reservoir 510 in the secondposition, the proximal end portion 551 of the puncture member 550 isplaced in contact with the port 513 (e.g., pierces the port 513)included in and/or defined by the surface 512, as described in detailabove with reference to FIG. 8. Moreover, the distal movement of thefluid reservoir 510 toward the second position can transition the sheath553 substantially surrounding the puncture member 550 from its firstconfiguration to its second configuration, as described above. Thus, theproximal end portion 551 of the puncture member 550 can extend beyondthe sheath 553 to pierce the port 513 of the fluid reservoir 510 suchthat a portion of the puncture member 550 is disposed in an inner volumedefined by the fluid reservoir 510, as shown in FIG. 23. Although notshown in FIGS. 22 and 23, in some embodiments, the proximal end portion551 of the puncture member 550 can pierce the port 513 prior to thefluid reservoir 510 being placed in the second position. For example, insome embodiments, the user can rotate the fluid reservoir 510 by aquarter of a rotation to place the proximal end portion 551 of thepuncture member 550 in contact with the port 513 (e.g., to cause thepuncture member 550 to pierce the port 513). In some embodiments, fluidreservoir 510 can be placed in the second position by rotating the fluidreservoir 510 by two or more substantially full rotations. In thismanner, the puncture member 550 can be disposed within the fluidreservoir 510 and a lumen defined by the puncture member 550 can be influid communication with the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 510. Asdescribed above, the number of rotations can be at least partially basedon an amount of time and/or contact characteristics (e.g. scrubbing orwiping of surface 512) associated with the disinfecting agent achievingthe desired effect of substantially eliminating contaminants and/orother microbes external to the patient's bodily-fluid source.

With the fluid flow path defined between the flow of bodily-fluid in thepatient and the lumen defined by the puncture member 550 (e.g., via thelumen defining device and the port 524, as described above), thepuncture member 550 can place the fluid reservoir 510 in fluidcommunication with the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient. As describedabove, the fluid reservoir 510 can define a negative pressure that canexert a suction force in or on the lumen of the puncture member 550 whenthe puncture member 550 pierces the fluid reservoir 510 and, in turn,the negative pressure can exert a suction force within, for example, avein of the patient to urge the bodily-fluid to flow within the fluidflow path to be disposed in the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 510.In some instances, the bodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow pathuntil a desired volume of bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluidreservoir 510, as described above. With the desired amount ofbodily-fluid disposed in the fluid reservoir 510, the fluid reservoir510 can be rotated in a direction substantially opposite the JJdirection to move the fluid reservoir 510 in the proximal directionrelative to the transfer adapter 520, thereby allowing the fluidreservoir 510 to be removed from the transfer adapter 520. In someinstances, a second fluid reservoir (not shown in FIG. 5) can beinserted into the transfer adapter 520 and placed in fluid communicationwith the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient in substantially the samemanner as described above. Thus, any suitable number of fluid reservoirscan be inserted into the transfer adapter 520 such that a piercablesurface of each fluid reservoir is disinfected prior to receiving a flowof bodily-fluid. As such, the amount of contaminants and/or microbestransferred to a bodily-fluid sample from, for example, a piercablesurface of a fluid reservoir can be reduced and/or substantiallyeliminated. Moreover, by allowing the disinfection agent on the surface512 of the fluid reservoir 510 to substantially evaporate prior to thepuncture member 550 piercing the surface 510, the likelihood of thedisinfection agent being transferred to the flow of the bodily-fluidand/or to the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 510 can be reducedand/or substantially eliminated.

Although the collection devices 200 (FIGS. 2-8), 300 (FIGS. 9-12), 400(FIGS. 13-17), and 500 (FIGS. 18-23) are shown above as including thedisinfection members 240, 340, 440, and 540, respectively, that are eachdisposed within the transfer adapters 220, 320, 420, and 520,respectively, while disinfecting a fluid reservoir, in otherembodiments, a collection device can include a disinfection member thatcan be temporarily disposed within a transfer adapter. For example,FIGS. 24-30 illustrate a bodily-fluid collection device 600 (alsoreferred to herein as “collection device”) according to anotherembodiment. The collection device 600 includes a transfer adapter 620, aset of disinfection members 640 (see e.g., FIG. 24), a puncture member650 (see e.g., FIG. 6), and a fluid reservoir 610.

Some aspects of the collection device 600 can be similar in form andfunction as corresponding aspects of the collection device 200,described above with reference to FIGS. 2-8. For example, the transferadapter 620 can be substantially similar in form and function as thetransfer adapter 220 described above. Thus, aspects of the transferadapter 620 are described below to identify parts and/or portions,however, similar aspects are not described in further detail herein. Thetransfer adapter 620 has a proximal end portion 621 and a distal endportion 623, and defines an inner volume 636. As described above, atleast a portion of the puncture member 650 can be disposed within theinner volume 636 (see e.g., FIG. 25). Moreover, at least a portion ofeach disinfection member 640 can be temporarily disposed within theinner volume 636, as described in further detail herein. The transferadapter 620 can include a set of annular walls 625 having a firstportion 626, a second portion 628, and a tapered portion 627, asdescribed with above with reference to the annular walls 225 of thetransfer adapter 220. The proximal end portion 621 can be substantiallyopen and configured to movably receive the fluid reservoir 610. Thedistal end portion 623 can include a port 624 that can be substantiallysimilar to the port 224 included in the transfer adapter 220.

The puncture member 650 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the puncture member 250, described above with reference toFIGS. 3-8. Thus, aspects of the puncture member 650 are described belowto identify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The puncture member 650 can includea proximal end portion 651 and a distal end portion 652 (see e.g., FIG.25). The distal end portion 652 can be coupled to the port 624 of thetransfer adapter 620 (e.g., physically and fluidically coupled), and theproximal end portion 651 can be selectively placed in contact with asurface of the fluid reservoir 610, as described above with reference tothe puncture member 250. Moreover, the puncture member 650 can be atleast temporarily disposed within a sheath 653 that can be substantiallysimilar to the sheath 253 described above. The sheath 653 can betransitioned between a first configuration, in which the sheath 653substantially surrounds the puncture member 650, and a secondconfiguration, in which a portion of the puncture member 650 extends ina proximal direction beyond a surface of the sheath 653, as describedabove with reference to the sheath 253 (see e.g., FIGS. 6 and 8).

The fluid reservoir 610 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the fluid reservoir 210, described above with reference toFIG. 5. Thus, aspects of the fluid reservoir 610 are described below toidentify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The fluid reservoir 610 can includea distal end portion 611 having a surface 612 that defines a port 613,as described above with reference to the fluid reservoir 210 (see e.g.,FIG. 5). The fluid reservoir 610 can be inserted into the inner volume636 of the transfer adapter 620 and can be moved to a first position anda second position relative to the transfer adapter 620, as described infurther detail herein.

As shown in FIGS. 25-27, the disinfection members 640 can each bedisposed within an inner volume 648 defined by a cap 647. Moreparticularly, the disinfection members 640 can be coupled to a distalsurface 649 that defines at least a portion of the inner volume 648(e.g., via an adhesive, a friction fit, a physical indentation in thewall of the transfer adapter 620, etc.). The caps 647 are each at leasttemporarily disposed within the inner volume 636 of the transfer adapter620. In some embodiments, a surface of the caps 647 can define afriction fit with an inner surface of the transfer adapter 620 to atleast temporarily retain each caps 647 (and therefore, each disinfectionmember 640) within the inner volume 636 of the transfer adapter 620.Although shown in FIG. 25 as including a set of two caps 647, in otherembodiments, the transfer adapter 620 can house more or less than twocaps 647. For example, in some embodiments, a single cap 647 (includinga disinfection member 640) can be disposed within the inner volume 636.Moreover, although the caps 647 are disposed in a substantially stackedarrangement, in other embodiments, the second portion 628 of thetransfer adapter 620 can have a diameter that is sufficient to allow thecaps 647 to be disposed in the inner volume 636 in a side-by-sidearrangement (e.g., coplanar).

The disinfection member 640 can be, for example, a pad, a swab, asponge, and/or the like that can include a disinfecting agent. In someembodiments, at least a surface of the disinfection members 640 can beimpregnated with a disinfecting agent such as, those described above. Insome embodiments, the disinfection members 640 can include and/or candefine a portion that is substantially porous, for example, to act as asubstrate for the disinfection agent. As described in further detailherein, the fluid reservoir 610 can be inserted into the inner volume647 defined by the cap 648 to be placed in contact with the disinfectionmember 640 (e.g., to be placed in the first position within the innervolume 636). In some embodiments, the distal end portion 611 of thefluid reservoir 610 can form a friction fit with an inner surface of thecap 647 defining the inner volume 648. As such, the fluid reservoir 610can be disposed within the inner volume 648 defined by the cap 647 andmoved in a proximal direction to remove the cap 647 from the innervolume 636 defined by the transfer adapter 620, as described in furtherdetail herein.

Although not shown in FIGS. 24-30, can include a seal or the like thatcan be removably coupled to, for example, a proximal surface of thetransfer adapter 620. The seal can be any suitable configuration. Forexample, in some embodiments, the seal can be substantially similar tothe seal 238 described above with reference to FIG. 2. In this manner,the seal can fluidically isolate the inner volume 636 to substantiallymaintain the sterility of the inner volume 636 and/or the puncturemember 650 and disinfection member 640 disposed therein. Moreover, byfluidically isolating the inner volume 636, the seal can maintain arelative humidity within the inner volume 636 that is sufficient tosubstantially prevent evaporation of a disinfection agent disposedtherein, as described above. In other embodiments, the seal can beaffixed to each individual cap 647 to maintain the desired level ofdisinfecting agent saturation of the disinfection members 640.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 600 to couplethe port 624 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV, a standard winged butterfly needle, and/or a syringe asdescribed above. The lumen defining device can be placed incommunication with a bodily-fluid in a patient such that a fluid flowpath is defined between a flow of the bodily-fluid within the patientand the lumen defined by the puncture member 650 (e.g., via the port624). In some instances, with the port 624 coupled to the lumen definingdevice, the user can manipulate the collection device 600 remove a sealor the like from the transfer adapter 620, as described above withreference to the seal 238.

The user can move the fluid reservoir 610 in a distal direction relativeto the transfer adapter 620 to place the fluid reservoir 610 in thefirst position within the inner volume 636, thereby placing thecollection device 600 in a first configuration, as indicated by thearrow LL in FIG. 28. In this manner, the distal end portion 611 of thefluid reservoir 610 can be inserted into the inner volume 648 defined bythe cap 647 (e.g., the cap 647 adjacent to the proximal end portion 621of the transfer adapter 620 in FIG. 28) to place the surface 612 of thefluid reservoir 610 in contact with the disinfection member 640. Thus,the disinfection member 640 can disinfect the surface 612. In someembodiments, the disinfection member 640 can be configured to, forexample, compress when placed in contact with the surface 612 of thefluid reservoir 610. In such embodiments, by compressing thedisinfection member 640, a disinfecting agent suspended in, for example,a porous substrate of the disinfection member 640 can be expelled (e.g.,squeezed) from the disinfection member 640 and deposited, at least inpart, on the surface 612 of the fluid reservoir 610.

As shown in FIG. 29, with the surface 612 of the fluid reservoir 610 incontact with the disinfection member 640, the fluid reservoir 610 can bemoved in a proximal direction to remove the fluid reservoir 610 from theinner volume 636 defined by the transfer adapter 620. Moreover, with thedistal end portion 611 of the fluid reservoir 610 defining a frictionfit with the inner surface of the cap 647, the cap 647 is also removed,substantially concurrently, from the inner volume 636 defined by thetransfer adapter 620. In this manner, the surface 612 of the fluidreservoir 610 can be maintained in contact with the disinfection member640 for a predetermined or variable time period that is sufficient tosubstantially disinfect the surface 612. Furthermore, by removing thecap 647 that was in the proximal position within the inner volume 636 ofthe transfer adapter 620, a second fluid reservoir (not shown in FIGS.24-30) can be inserted into the inner volume 636 of the transfer adapter620 and placed in its first position to place a surface of that fluidreservoir in contact with the second disinfection member 640, in asimilar manner as described with reference to the fluid reservoir 610.Thus, the second fluid reservoir can be moved in the proximal directionto remove the second fluid reservoir and the second cap 647 (e.g., thecap 647 in the distal position in FIG. 25). In this manner, thedisinfection member 640 included in that cap 647 can be maintained incontact with the surface of the second fluid reservoir to substantiallydisinfect the surface. The positioning of the caps 647 within the innervolume 636 of the transfer adapter 620, for example, can prevent a userfrom gaining access to the bodily-fluid source via the puncture member650 until the caps 647 have been removed. The physical obstructioncreated by the placement of the caps 647 can significantly increase thelikelihood that a user would follow the steps intended to disinfect thesurface 612 of the fluid reservoir 610 prior to initiating contact withthe puncture member 650 to transfer bodily-fluid into the fluidreservoir 610.

In some instances, after a predetermined or variable time period ofbeing in contact with the disinfection member 640, the user can removethe distal end portion 611 of the fluid reservoir 610 from the innervolume 648 of the cap 647. As shown in FIG. 30, once removed from thecap 647, the user can insert the fluid reservoir 610 into the innervolume 636 of the transfer adapter 620 to place the fluid reservoir 610in the second position, as indicated by the arrow MM in FIG. 30. Withthe fluid reservoir 610 in the second position, the proximal end portion651 of the puncture member 650 is placed in contact with the port 613(e.g., pierces the port 613) included in and/or defined by the surface612, as described in detail above with reference to FIG. 8. Moreover,the distal movement of the fluid reservoir 610 toward the secondposition can transition the sheath 653 substantially surrounding thepuncture member 650 from its first configuration to its secondconfiguration, as described above. Thus, the proximal end portion 651 ofthe puncture member 650 can extend beyond the sheath 653 to pierce theport 613 of the fluid reservoir 610 such that a portion of the puncturemember 650 is disposed in an inner volume defined by the fluid reservoir610, as shown in FIG. 30.

With the puncture member 650 defining a lumen and with the fluidreservoir 610 in the second position, the portion of the puncture member650 can be disposed within the fluid reservoir 610 such that the lumendefined by the puncture member 650 is in fluid communication with theinner volume of the fluid reservoir 610. Thus, with the fluid flow pathdefined between the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient and the lumendefined by the puncture member 650 (e.g., via the lumen defining deviceand the port 624, as described above), the puncture member 650 can placethe fluid reservoir 610 in fluid communication with the flow ofbodily-fluid in the patient. As described above, the fluid reservoir 610can define a negative pressure that can exert a suction force in or onthe lumen of the puncture member 650 when the puncture member 650pierces the fluid reservoir 610 and, in turn, the negative pressure canexert a suction force within, for example, a vein of the patient to urgethe bodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path to be disposed inthe inner volume of the fluid reservoir 610. In some instances, thebodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until a desired volumeof bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluid reservoir 610, as describedabove. With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed in the fluidreservoir 610, the fluid reservoir 610 can be moved in the proximaldirection to, for example, remove the fluid reservoir 610 from the innervolume 636 of the transfer adapter 620.

In some instances, the user can remove the second fluid reservoir fromthe inner volume 648 of the cap 647 in which it is disposed. Thus, withthe fluid reservoir 610 removed from the inner volume 636 and with thesecond fluid reservoir removed from the associated cap 647, the secondfluid reservoir can be inserted into the transfer adapter 620 and placedin fluid communication with the flow of bodily-fluid in the patient insubstantially the same manner as described above. As such, the amount ofcontaminants and/or microbes transferred to a bodily-fluid sample from,for example, the piercable surface of the fluid reservoir 610 and/or thesecond fluid reservoir (not shown) can be reduced and/or substantiallyeliminated.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating a method 790 of procuring abodily-fluid sample from a patient with reduced contamination fromexternally residing microbes according to an embodiment. In someembodiments, the method 790 includes establishing fluid communicationbetween a patient and a transfer adapter, at 791. The transfer adaptercan be any suitable device or mechanism described herein. For example,in some embodiments, the transfer adapter can be substantially similarto transfer adapter 200 described above with reference to FIGS. 2-8. Inthis manner, the transfer adapter can include a proximal end portion anda distal end portion, and can define an inner volume within which adisinfection member and a puncture member are disposed. The distal endportion of the transfer adapter can include a port that is configured tobe placed in fluid communication with the patient. The puncture memberis configured to be fluidically coupled to the port to be placed influid communication with the patient, as described above with referenceto the transfer adapter 220 and the puncture member 250. Thedisinfection member can be substantially similar to any of thedisinfection members described herein. In this manner, the disinfectionmember can be configured to substantially disinfect a surface of a fluidreservoir when placed in contact therewith.

A portion of a fluid reservoir is inserted in the inner volume of thetransfer adapter, at 792. For example, in some embodiments, the proximalend portion of the transfer adapter can be substantially open andconfigured to movably receive the portion of the fluid reservoir. Insome embodiments, the transfer adapter can be coupled to a seal or thelike that can be configured to fluidically isolate at least a portion ofthe inner volume of the transfer adapter. In such embodiments, the sealcan be removed prior to inserting the fluid reservoir into the innervolume of the transfer adapter. In other embodiments, the seal caninclude, for example, a frangible portion that can be deformed and/orotherwise reconfigured to allow the fluid reservoir to be inserted intothe inner volume.

The fluid reservoir is moved to a first position within the inner volumeto place a contact surface of the fluid reservoir in contact with thedisinfection member, at 793. For example, the contact surface can be adistal surface of the fluid reservoir that can include and/or define aport. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir can be moved in a distaldirection relative to the transfer adapter to place the contact surfacein the contact with the disinfection member. In this manner, thedisinfection member can substantially disinfect the contact surface. Insome embodiments, the disinfection member can include a surface that isdisposed at, near, and/or substantially coplanar with a proximal surfaceof the transfer adapter. As such, the first position of the fluidreservoir can be associated with the insertion of the portion of thefluid reservoir into the inner volume in which the contact surface ofthe fluid reservoir is placed in contact with the disinfection member ina substantially concurrent process.

The fluid reservoir is moved to a second position within the innervolume such that the puncture member punctures the contact surface ofthe fluid reservoir to place the fluid reservoir in fluid communicationwith the patient, at 794. For example, in some embodiments, the fluidreservoir can be moved in the distal direction to the second positionand the puncture member can pierce the port included in the contactsurface to place the puncture member in fluid communication with aninner volume of the fluid reservoir. In some embodiments, as the fluidreservoir is moved from the first position to the second position, thefluid reservoir can transition the disinfection member from a firstconfiguration to a second configuration. For example, in someembodiments, the disinfection member can be transitioned from asubstantially closed configuration to a substantially open position toallow the fluid reservoir to pass therethrough. In other embodiments,the fluid reservoir can transition the disinfection member from asubstantially non-compressed configuration to a substantially compressedconfiguration when moved to the second position. In such embodiments,the disinfection member can be maintained in contact with the contactsurface of the fluid reservoir. In other embodiments, the contactsurface need not remain in contact with the disinfection member. In suchembodiments, at least a portion of the transfer adapter can be vented toallow a disinfection agent to evaporate from the contact surface, asdescribed above with reference to the transfer adapter 320. In someembodiments, the puncture member can be disposed within a sheath. Insuch embodiments, as the fluid reservoir is moved to the secondposition, the sheath can be transitioned from a first configuration inwhich proximal end portion of the puncture member is disposed within thesheath to a second configuration in which the proximal end portionextends beyond a surface of the sheath to puncture the contact surfaceof the fluid reservoir.

With the fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the patient (e.g.,via at least the puncture member and the port), the fluid reservoir canreceive a flow of bodily-fluid from the patient. In some embodiments,the fluid reservoir can define, for example, a negative pressure thatcan draw the bodily-fluid into the fluid reservoir. Moreover, by placingthe contact surface of the fluid reservoir in contact with thedisinfection member, contaminants such as microbes or the like residingon the contact surface of the fluid reservoir are substantially killedand/or removed prior the contact surface being punctured by the puncturemember. Thus, the bodily-fluid sample contained in the fluid reservoircan be substantially free from externally residing microbes that couldotherwise be transferred from the contact surface to the bodily-fluidsample during procurement.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 24-30, in some embodiments, atransfer adapter can be at least temporarily coupled to a disinfectionmember, which can be removed from the transfer adapter and applied to afluid reservoir prior to use. For example, FIGS. 32-34 illustrate aperspective view of a bodily-fluid collection device 800, according toanother embodiment. As shown in FIG. 32, the bodily-fluid collectiondevice 800 includes a transfer adapter 820, a disinfection member 840, apuncture member 850 (see e.g., FIG. 34), and a fluid reservoir 810. Someaspects of the collection device 800 can be similar in form and/orfunction as corresponding aspects of the collection device 200,described above with reference to FIGS. 2-8. For example, the transferadapter 620 can be substantially similar in form and/or function as thetransfer adapter 220 and/or any of the transfer adapters 320, 420, 520,and/or 620 described above. Thus, such aspects of the transfer adapter820 are described below to identify parts and/or portions, however,similar aspects are not described in further detail herein.

The fluid reservoir 810 can be substantially similar in form andfunction as the fluid reservoir 210, described above with reference toFIG. 5. Thus, aspects of the fluid reservoir 810 are described below toidentify parts and/or portions, however, similar aspects are notdescribed in further detail herein. The fluid reservoir 810 includes adistal end portion 811 having a surface 812 that defines a port 813 (asdescribed above). The fluid reservoir 810 is configured to be insertedinto the inner volume 836 of the transfer adapter 820 and into fluidcommunication with the puncture member 850 after, for example, thedisinfection member 840 is applied to the surface 812, as described infurther detail herein.

The transfer adapter 820 has a proximal end portion 821 and a distal endportion 823, and defines an inner volume 836. As described above withreference to the transfer adapter 220, the transfer adapter 820 includesa set of annular walls 825 having a first portion 826, a second portion828, and a tapered portion 827. The proximal end portion 821 includes aproximal flange 839 and can be substantially open to movably receive thefluid reservoir 810, as shown in FIGS. 33-34. The distal end portion 823includes a port 824 that can be substantially similar to the port 224included in the transfer adapter 220.

As described above with reference to the transfer adapter 220, at leasta portion of the puncture member 850 can be disposed within the innervolume 836 (see e.g., FIG. 34). The puncture member 850 can besubstantially similar in form and function as the puncture member 250,described above with reference to FIGS. 3-8. Thus, aspects of thepuncture member 850 are described below to identify parts and/orportions, however, similar aspects are not described in further detailherein. The puncture member 850 includes a proximal end portion 851 anda distal end portion 852 (see e.g., FIG. 34). The distal end portion 852is coupled to the port 824 of the transfer adapter 820 (e.g., physicallyand fluidically coupled), and the proximal end portion 851 can beselectively placed in contact with a surface of the fluid reservoir 810,as described above with reference to the puncture member 250. Moreover,the puncture member 850 can be at least temporarily disposed within asheath 853 (e.g., similar to the sheath 253 described above) configuredto be transitioned between a first configuration, in which the sheath853 substantially surrounds the puncture member 850, and a secondconfiguration, in which a portion of the puncture member 850 extends ina proximal direction beyond a surface of the sheath 853 (see FIG. 34).

The disinfection member 840 can be any suitable disinfection memberconfigured to substantially sterilize and/or disinfect the surface 812of the fluid reservoir 810 prior to inserting the distal end portion 811of the fluid reservoir 810 into the inner volume 836. For example, inthis embodiment, the disinfection member 840 can be a wipe such as acloth, a pad, a sponge, a swab, and/or any suitable substantiallysaturated absorbent material. Although not shown in FIGS. 32-34, thedisinfection member 840 can be disposed within a package, pouch,wrapper, and/or any other suitable non-fluidically permeable covering.As such, the package or the like can maintain the disinfection member840 in a moist and substantially sterile environment.

The disinfection member 840 can be at least temporarily coupled to thetransfer adapter 820. Specifically, in this embodiment, the transferadapter 820 includes a retention member 865 having a first engagementmember 866 and a second engagement member 867, as shown in FIGS. 32-34.The retention member 865 can be and/or can otherwise form an annularring or the like that is disposed about a portion of the transferadapter 820. For example, in some embodiments, the retention member 865can be disposed about the proximal end portion 821 adjacent to and/orotherwise in contact with the proximal flange 839 or the like of thetransfer adapter 820. The first engagement member 866 and the secondengagement member 867 can be substantially similar and can be disposedon substantially opposite sides of the retention member 865. Theengagement members 866 and 867 can be any suitable shape, size, and/orconfiguration. For example, in this embodiment, the engagement members866 and 867 each form a substantially U-shaped tab, clip, protrusion,extension, etc. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 32-34, the arrangement ofthe retention member 865 relative to the transfer adapter 820 is suchthat a first portion of the engagement members 866 and 867 are disposedon a first side (e.g., a distal side) of the proximal flange 839 and asecond portion of the engagement member 866 and 867 are disposed on asecond side of the proximal flange 839 (e.g., a proximal side).

As shown in FIG. 32, the engagement members 866 and 867 are configuredto engage and/or contact the disinfection member 840 to retain thedisinfection member in a substantially fixed position relative to thetransfer adapter 820 prior to use. For example, as shown, thedisinfection member 840 can be disposed between the second portion ofthe engagement members 866 and 867, which are disposed on the proximalside of the proximal flange 839, and a proximal surface of the transferadapter 820. As such, when the disinfection member 840 is disposedbetween the engagement members 866 and 867 and the proximal surface ofthe transfer adapter 820, the disinfection member 840 substantiallyobstructs the open proximal end portion of the transfer adapter 840. Inother words, the disinfection member 840 (e.g., disposed within itspackage or the like) substantially obstructs the inner volume 836 of thetransfer adapter 820 from a volume proximal to the disinfection member840. Thus, to insert a portion of the fluid reservoir 810 into the innervolume 836, for example, a user can remove the disinfection member 840from the retention member 865, thereby exposing the inner volume 836 ofthe transfer adapter. Such an arrangement, in some instances, can forcea user to comply with a disinfection protocol and/or at least remind theuser to disinfect the fluid reservoir 810 prior to inserting the fluidreservoir 810 into the transfer adapter 820.

In use, a user (e.g., a doctor, nurse, technician, physician,phlebotomist, etc.) can manipulate the collection device 800 to couplethe port 824 to a lumen defining device such as, for example, aperipheral IV, a standard winged butterfly needle, and/or a syringe asdescribed above. The lumen defining device can be placed incommunication with a bodily-fluid in a patient such that a fluid flowpath is defined between a flow of the bodily-fluid within the patientand the lumen defined by the puncture member 850 (e.g., via the port824). With the transfer adapter 820 coupled to the lumen defining thedevice, the user can manipulate the disinfection member 840 to removethe disinfection member 840 from engagement and/or contact with theretention member 865, as indicated by the arrow NN in FIG. 33. Onceremoved from the retention member 865, the user can remove thedisinfection member 840 from its package or the like (not shown). Forexample, in some embodiments, the user can tear open the package or thelike to remove the disinfection member 840. The user can then apply,wipe, and/or otherwise place the disinfection member 840 in contact withat least the surface 812 of the fluid reservoir 810, therebysubstantially sterilizing those surfaces (e.g., at least the surface812). Although described as being performed after coupling the transferadapter 820 to the lumen defining device, in other instances, the usercan disinfect the fluid reservoir using the disinfection member 840prior to coupling the transfer adapter 820 to the lumen defining device.Moreover, in some embodiments, with the port 824 coupled to the lumendefining device, the user can manipulate the collection device 800 toremove a seal or the like from the transfer adapter 820, as describedabove with reference to the seal 238.

After substantially disinfecting at least the surface 812 of the fluidreservoir 810, the user can move the fluid reservoir 810 relative to thetransfer adapter 820 such that the puncture member 850 engages (e.g.,pierces) the port 813 defined by the surface 812 of the fluid reservoir810, as indicated by the arrow OO in FIG. 34. Thus, the proximal endportion 851 of the puncture member 850 can extend beyond the sheath 853to pierce the port 813 of the fluid reservoir 810 such that a portion ofthe puncture member 850 is disposed in an inner volume defined by thefluid reservoir 810, as shown in FIG. 34. In this manner, a lumendefined by the puncture member 850 can place the lumen defining device(and thus, a lumen of the patient) in fluid communication with the innervolume of the fluid reservoir 810. As described above, the fluidreservoir 810 can define a negative pressure that can exert a suctionforce in or on the lumen of the puncture member 850 when the puncturemember 850 pierces the fluid reservoir 810 and, in turn, the negativepressure can exert a suction force within, for example, a vein of thepatient to urge the bodily-fluid to flow within the fluid flow path tobe disposed in the inner volume of the fluid reservoir 810. In someinstances, the bodily-fluid can flow within the fluid flow path until adesired volume of bodily-fluid is disposed in the fluid reservoir 810,as described above. With the desired amount of bodily-fluid disposed inthe fluid reservoir 810, the fluid reservoir 810 can be moved in theproximal direction to, for example, remove the fluid reservoir 810 fromthe inner volume 836 of the transfer adapter 820.

Any of the embodiments described here and/or portions thereof can be,for example, packaged, shipped, and/or sold independently, and/or incombination with any other suitable device for obtaining bodily-fluidsamples. For example, FIGS. 35-38 illustrate a kit 970, which caninclude at least a package 971 configured to contain at least a transferadapter 920 and a set of disinfection members 940. In some embodiments,the transfer adapter 920 can be any of the transfer adapters 220, 320,420, 520, 620, and/or 820. As such, the transfer adapter 920 can definean inner volume (not shown in FIGS. 35-38) within which a puncturemember (e.g., the puncture member 250 and/or the like) is disposed.Similarly, the transfer device 920 can includes and/or can be otherwisecoupled to any of the disinfection members 240, 340, 440, 540, 640,and/or 840 (e.g., in addition to the disinfection members 940 shown inFIG. 35). Moreover, as shown, the kit 970 can include, for example, abodily-fluid diversion device 980, which is coupled to a port of thetransfer adapter 920. In other embodiments, the bodily-fluid diversiondevice 980 can be disposed within the package 971 and not coupled totransfer adapter 920. In some embodiments, the bodily-fluid diversiondevice 980 can be any of those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,535,241,incorporated by reference above. In still other embodiments, the kit 970need not include the bodily-fluid diversion device 980.

As shown in FIGS. 35-37, the package 971 can be any suitable shape,size, and/or configuration. Specifically, in this embodiment, thepackage 971 includes an inner surface 972 and defines an inner volume973. Although not shown in FIGS. 35-38, the package 971 can also includea substantially non-permeable cover and/or seal configured tofluidically isolate the inner volume 973 from a volume outside of thepackage 971 prior to opening of the package 971 and/or otherwiseremoving the cover and/or seal. Moreover, the arrangement of the kit 970is such that the transfer adapter 920, the disinfection members 940 andthe bodily-fluid diversion device 980 are disposed within the innervolume 973 of the package 971. Thus, the cover and/or the seal, forexample, can engage a surface of the package 971 to define asubstantially fluid tight and/or substantially hermetic sealtherebetween. In some embodiments, the kit 970 can be sterilized and/orthe like prior to fluidically isolating the inner volume 973 of thepackage 971 (e.g., the kit 970 can be disposed in an ethylene oxideenvironment or the like).

As shown in FIG. 36, the inner surface 972 of the package 971 can haveand/or can define a contour portion 972A configured to matingly receivea portion of the transfer adapter 920, the disinfection members 940,and/or the bodily-fluid diversion device 980. In some embodiments, theportions of the transfer adapter 920, the disinfection members 940,and/or the bodily-fluid diversion device 980 can form a friction fit orthe like with the contour 972A portion of the inner surface 972 suchthat the transfer adapter 920, the disinfection members 940, and/or thebodily-fluid diversion device 980 are maintained in a substantiallyfixed position relative to the package 971 (see e.g., FIG. 35).

As shown in FIGS. 35 and 37, the package 971 can include a retainer 977or the like configured to selectively maintain at least the transferadapter 920 in contact with and/or otherwise adjacent to the contourportion 972A of the inner surface 972. For example, in some embodiments,the retainer 977 can be a relatively flexible strap or the like that canbe transitioned between a first configuration, in which the retainer 977maintains the transfer adapter 920 in contact with the contour portion972A, and a second configuration, in which the retainer 977 allows atleast the transfer adapter 920 to be removed from the package 971. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 35, the kit 970 includes two disinfectionmembers 940, which are at least temporarily maintained in contact withthe inner surface 972 and disposed on opposite sides of the transferadapter 920 when the transfer adapter 920 is in contact with the contourportion 972A of the inner surface 972. As such, opposite end portions ofthe retainer 977 can be disposed between disinfection members 940 andthe inner surface 972 of the package 971, thereby coupling the retainer977 to the inner surface 972. Therefore, the retainer 977 can form aband and/or strap between the disinfection members 940 that is operablein retaining at least the transfer adapter 920 in contact with and/oradjacent to the contour portion 972A of the inner surface 972. In someinstances, this arrangement can force a user to comply with adisinfection protocol and/or at least remind the user to disinfect thefluid reservoir 910 prior to inserting the fluid reservoir 910 into thetransfer adapter 920, as described above.

The disinfection members 940 can be, for example, a pad, a swab, asponge, and/or the like that can include a disinfecting agent. In someembodiments, at least a surface of the disinfection members 940 can beimpregnated with a disinfecting agent such as, those described above. Insome embodiments, the disinfection members 940 can include and/or candefine a portion that is substantially porous, for example, to act as asubstrate for the disinfection agent. Moreover, the disinfection members940 can include a cap or outer portion configured to provide structuralintegrity and/or strength. Although not shown, the cap and/or outerportion can define an inner volume within which the disinfection member940 is disposed, as described in further detail herein.

In user, a user can manipulate the package 971 by removing the coverand/or seal from the package 971 (not shown in FIGS. 35-38). Onceremoved, at least one of the disinfection members 940 can be removedfrom engagement (either directly or indirectly) with the inner surface972. As shown in FIG. 38, the disinfection member 940 can be placed incontact with, for example, a distal end portion 911 of a fluid reservoir910, as indicated by the arrow RR. In this manner, the disinfectionmember 940 can contact a distal surface 912 of the fluid reservoir 910to substantially disinfect and/or sterilize the distal surface 912, asdescribed above with reference to the disinfection members 240, 340,440, 540, 640, and/or 840.

With at least one of the disinfection members 940 removed from thepackage 971, the retainer 977 can be transitioned from its firstconfiguration (FIG. 35) to its second configuration, as indicated by thearrow PP in FIG. 37. For example, in some embodiments, the retainer 977can be a relatively flexible strap or the like that can be moved, bent,deformed, and/or otherwise repositioned relative to at least thetransfer adapter 920. Thus, at least the transfer adapter 920 can beremoved for the inner volume 973 of the package 971, as indicated by thearrow QQ in FIG. 37. In some embodiments, the transfer adapter 920 canbe coupled to the bodily-fluid diversion device 980 such that when theretainer 977 is in the second configuration, removal of the transferadapter 920 also removes the bodily-fluid diversion device 980. As such,a lumen defining device 981 (e.g., a sterile flexible tubing, acatheter, and/or the like) can be placed in fluid communication with alumen of a patient (e.g., via a peripheral intravenous line, via anindwelling cannula, and/or via venipuncture).

With the transfer adapter 920 in fluid communication with the patientvia the bodily-fluid collection device 980 and the lumen defining device981, and with the disinfection member 940 having substantiallydisinfected the distal surface 912 of the fluid reservoir 910, the usercan move the fluid reservoir 910 relative to the transfer adapter 920such that the puncture member (not shown) pierces the distal surface 912of the fluid reservoir 910, as described in detail above. In thismanner, a lumen defined by the puncture member 950 can place thebodily-fluid diversion device 980 and the lumen defining device 981 inselective fluid communication with the inner volume of the fluidreservoir 910. Thus, the user can manipulate the bodily-fluid diversiondevice 980, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,535,241 incorporated byreference above, to withdraw a volume of bodily-fluid that issubstantially free from microbes such as dermally residing microbes.

Any of the embodiments described herein can include components that aremanufactured, packaged, and sold independently or collectively. Forexample, in some instances, any of the embodiments described herein canbe manufactured, assembled, and packaged collectively during amanufacturing process. In such instances, one or more disinfectionmembers, such as those described herein, can be positioned within acollection device during a manufacturing process (e.g., duringassembly), which be performed, for example, in a substantially sterileenvironment. Moreover, the position of the disinfection member can besuch that during use, a clinician is substantially prevented fromcollecting and/or transferring a bodily-fluid sample into a fluidreservoir(s) without engaging the disinfection member to at leastsubstantially sterilize a connection between the collection device andthe fluid reservoir.

For example, in such embodiments, the disinfection member cansubstantially sterilize a surface of the fluid reservoir that issubsequently pierced by a puncture member of the collection device, asdescribed in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. Byensuring that substantially no external contaminants and/or biologicalmatter (e.g., skin cells, tumor cells, organ tissue, etc.) external tothe target bodily-fluid source are captured in the sample vessel,diagnostic results can improve with increased consistency. With accuratediagnostic results, clinicians can derive an accurate treatment/actionplan, thereby reducing the likelihood of misdiagnosing a patient,prescribing unnecessary treatment, holding the patient in a clinicaland/or hospital setting for an undue period of time, and/or the like,which in turn, can substantially reduce a risk of the patient developinga further ailment (e.g., antibiotic complications, adverse drugreactions, hospital-acquired infection, and/or the like) as well assubstantially reduce costs to hospital and/or other healthcareinstitutions.

Although not shown, any of the embodiments and/or methods describedherein can be used in conjunction with and/or otherwise in the methodsdescribed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0155782 entitled, “SterileBodily-Fluid Collection Device and Methods,” filed Dec. 4, 2013 (the“'782 publication”), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. For example, the embodiments, described herecan be used to collect a bodily-fluid sample, which in turn can be usedin any of the testing methods, diagnostic methods, and/or analysismethods described in the '782 publication.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicatecertain components arranged in certain orientations or positions, thearrangement of components may be modified. While the embodiments havebeen particularly shown and described, it will be understood thatvarious changes in form and details may be made. Although variousembodiments have been described as having particular features and/orcombinations of components, other embodiments are possible having acombination of any features and/or components from any of embodiments asdiscussed above.

Where methods and/or events described above indicate certain eventsand/or procedures occurring in certain order, the ordering of certainevents and/or procedures may be modified. Additionally, certain of theevents may be performed concurrently in a parallel process whenpossible, as well as performed sequentially as described above.

The specific configurations of the various components can also bevaried. For example, the size and specific shape of the variouscomponents can be different from the embodiments shown, while stillproviding the functions as described herein. More specifically, the sizeand shape of the various components can be specifically selected for adesired rate of bodily-fluid flow into a fluid reservoir. Similarly, thesize and/or specific shape of various components can be specificallyselected for a desired fluid reservoir. For example, portions of theembodiments described herein can be modified such that any suitablecontainer, microcontainer, microliter container, vial, microvial,microliter vial, nanovial, sample bottle, culture bottle, etc. can beplaced in contact with a disinfection member to sterilize one or moreinterfaces associated therewith prior to a bodily-fluid being drawn intoa volume so defined.

What is claimed:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a transfer adapterincluding a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and definingan inner volume therebetween, the distal end portion including a portconfigured to be placed in fluid communication with a bodily-fluid of apatient; a fluid reservoir including a contact surface and configured tobe inserted though the proximal end portion of the transfer adapter suchthat at least a portion of the fluid reservoir is movably disposedwithin the inner volume between a first position and a second position;a disinfection member coupled to the transfer adapter and configured tobe placed in contact with the contact surface of the fluid reservoirwhen the fluid reservoir is in the first position; and a puncture memberdisposed within the inner volume of the transfer adapter and fluidicallycoupled to the port, the puncture member configured to puncture thecontact surface of the fluid reservoir to place the puncture member influid communication with the fluid reservoir when the fluid reservoir ismoved from the first position to the second position.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the puncture member isdisposed within a sheath, the sheath configured to be transitionedbetween a first configuration wherein the sheath substantially surroundsthe puncture member and a second configuration wherein a portion ofpuncture member is disposed outside of the sheath.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the disinfection member is configured to substantiallydisinfect the contact surface of the fluid reservoir.
 4. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the disinfection member is configured to betransitioned between a first configuration and a second configurationwhen the fluid reservoir is moved from the first position to the secondposition.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disinfection memberis at least one of a diaphragm or a porous substrate.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the transfer adapter includes a surface configuredto substantially limit distal movement of the fluid reservoir when thefluid reservoir.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transferadapter defines a plurality of vents, the plurality of vents configuredto allow a disinfection agent to evaporate from the contact surface ofthe fluid reservoir prior to the fluid reservoir being placed in thesecond position.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a sealremovably coupled to a surface of the transfer adapter, the sealconfigured to temporarily fluidically isolate the inner volume definedby the transfer adapter.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thedisinfection member is disposed within an inner volume defined by a capremovably disposed within the inner volume defined by the transferadapter, the fluid reservoir configured to be disposed within the innervolume defined by the cap when placed in the first position.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the disinfection member is at leastpartially disposed within the inner volume of the transfer adapter. 11.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer adapter includes aretention member, the retention member configure to at least temporarilycouple the disinfection member to the transfer adapter.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal end portion of the transferadapter defines an opening in fluid communication with the inner volume,the fluid reservoir configured to be inserted through the opening todispose at least a portion of the fluid reservoir within the innervolume, the disinfection member coupled to the transfer adapter suchthat the disinfection member at least temporarily obstructs the openingprior to the fluid reservoir being placed in the first position.
 13. Amethod, comprising: establishing fluid communication between a patientand a transfer adapter, the transfer adapter defining an inner volumeconfigured to house a puncture member configured to be in fluidcommunication with the patient, the transfer adapter configured toinclude a disinfection member; inserting a portion of a fluid reservoirinto the inner volume of the transfer adapter; moving the fluidreservoir to a first position to place a contact surface of the fluidreservoir in contact with the disinfection member; and moving the fluidreservoir to a second position, a portion of the fluid reservoirdisposed within the inner volume when the fluid reservoir is in thesecond position such that the puncture member punctures the contactsurface of the fluid reservoir to place the fluid reservoir in fluidcommunication with the patient.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thetransfer adapter includes a port, the port configured to be placed influid communication with a lumen defining device in fluid communicationwith the patient, the puncture member configured to be in fluidcommunication with the port.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein thedisinfection member is at least one of a diaphragm or a poroussubstrate.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the disinfection memberis configured to be transitioned between a first configuration and asecond configuration when the fluid reservoir is moved from the firstposition to the second position.
 17. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising: venting the inner volume of the transfer adapter prior tothe moving of the fluid reservoir to the second position.
 18. The methodof claim 13, wherein the moving of the fluid reservoir to the secondposition includes transitioning a sheath from a first configuration inwhich the puncture member is substantially disposed within the sheath toa second configuration in which a proximal end portion of the puncturemember is substantially outside of the sheath.
 19. The method of claim13, wherein the disinfection member at least temporarily obstructs theinner volume of the transfer adapter prior to moving the fluid reservoirto the first position.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein thedisinfection member prevents moving the fluid reservoir to the secondposition prior to moving the fluid reservoir to the first position. 21.The method of claim 13, wherein the first position of the fluidreservoir is substantially outside of the inner volume of the transferadapter, the moving of the fluid reservoir to the first position beingprior to the inserting of the portion of the fluid reservoir into theinner volume.
 22. A kit, comprising: a package defining an inner volume,the package including an inner surface, the inner surface having acontour portion; a transfer adapter defining an inner volume configuredto house a puncture member, the transfer adapter configured to be movedfrom a first adapter position, in which the transfer adapter is disposedwithin the package and in contact with the contour portion of the innersurface, to a second adapter position, in which the transfer adapter isdisposed substantially outside of the package, the transfer adapter andthe contour portion forming a friction fit when the transfer adapter isin the first adapter position to at least temporarily retain thetransfer adapter in a fixed position relative to the package; adisinfection member, the disinfection member configured to be moved froma first disinfection member position, in which the disinfection memberis disposed within the package and in contact with the inner surface; toa second disinfection member position, in which the disinfection memberis disposed substantially outside of the package; and a retainer, theretainer configured to be disposed within the package, the retainerconfigured to be transitioned from a first configuration to a secondconfiguration when the disinfection member is in the second disinfectionmember position, the retainer configured to substantially prevent thetransfer adapter from being moved from the first adapter position to thesecond adapter position when the retainer is in the first configuration.23. The kit of claim 22, wherein the package includes a cover, the coverconfigured to be removably coupled to an outer surface of the package tofluidically isolate the inner volume of the package such that the innervolume of the package defines a substantially sterile environment. 24.The kit of claim 22, wherein the package includes a cover, the coverconfigured to be transitioned from a first configuration, in which thecover forms a substantially fluid tight seal with an outer surface ofthe package when the transfer adapter, the disinfection member, and theretainer are disposed within the inner volume of the package, to asecond configuration, in which at least a portion of the cover isremoved from contact with the outer surface of the package.
 25. The kitof claim 22, wherein the disinfection member is a first disinfectionmember, the kit further comprising: a second disinfection member, thefirst disinfection member and the second disinfection member configuredto maintain the retainer in the first configuration when the firstdisinfection member is in its first disinfection member position. 26.The kit of claim 22, further comprising: a diversion device configuredto be coupled to the transfer adapter such that the diversion device isfluidically coupled to the puncture member, the diversion deviceconfigured to move with the transfer adapter from a first diversiondevice position, in which the diversion device is disposed within theinner volume of the package and in contact with the contour portion ofthe inner surface, to a second diversion device position, in which thediversion device is disposed substantially outside of the package. 27.The kit of claim 22, wherein the disinfection member is configured tosubstantially disinfect a surface of a fluid reservoir after thedisinfection member is placed in the second disinfection memberposition; and the inner volume of the transfer adapter is configured toreceive a portion of the fluid reservoir after the transfer adapted isplaced in the second adapter position, the portion of the fluidreservoir being received in the inner volume of the transfer adaptersuch that the puncture member punctures the surface of the fluidreservoir to place the puncture member in fluid communication with thefluid reservoir.